


He Didn't Have to Be

by KeJae



Category: Chuck (TV), White Collar
Genre: Gen, Word Prompt Style
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-15
Updated: 2017-11-19
Packaged: 2018-10-31 23:27:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 68,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10909641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeJae/pseuds/KeJae
Summary: This story is inspired by a combination of things including a prompt, song, and conversation.  Spiraling off of "Paternal Discoveries," this story is about the young twins, their mom Elizabeth, and how their step dad Peter came into the family...





	1. Beginnings

****

*******

**Meeting**

Walking to class on her first day of high school, Elizabeth wondered what new friends she would make.  Having recently moved to the city, she didn’t know any of her fellow classmates so she was open to any friendly actions.

Making her way through the crowded hallways, she was dismayed when another student’s backpack knocked the load of books out of her arms.  Dropping to pick them up, she noticed that the student continued on their way to class with apparently no knowledge of their actions or the consequences. 

Hearing the warning bell as she scrambled to grab the scattered supplies, she was worried about what kind of a standard the situation was going to cause to her reputation.  Being late on the first day in a new school wasn’t a good way to start.

“Here, let me help you with that.”  A voice sounded as she noticed another pair of hands assisting her.

Watching as his hands quickly gathered a large portion of her books and papers, she realized he was an older student.  He was tall as he crouched on the floor, and his reach made it easy to sweep her things into a quick pile.  Then he used his larger hands to organize them into a neat stack.  Either he was a tall for his age, or he was likely to be a senior.

Looking up to meet each other’s eyes, they paused for a moment as they observed each other’s appearances. 

He had dark hair, dancing blue eyes, and a friendly smile.  Caught up in admiring him, she was embarrassed to find herself staring.

Smiling as he handed her his stack of the books, the young man didn’t seem to mind her attention.  In fact, he was staring admiringly at her too.  “Here are your books.”

Blushing as she looked down, Elizabeth was further embarrassed by her reaction.  She had been around boys for years, even had guy friends that were a part of the group she hung out with at her old school.  So why was this encounter so different?

“My name is Ethan Rivers, what is yours?”  He even had a good voice.

Stuttering, Elizabeth managed to get her name out awkwardly.  “Elizabeth… Elizabeth Mitchell.”

Extending his hand again, Ethan tried to make her welcome.  “It’s nice to meet you Elizabeth.”  As she shyly shook his hand, he continued.  “Which class do you have first on your schedule?”

After he let her hand go, she pulled out her schedule to check again.  She had completely forgotten where she was supposed to be going.  “Ummm… I have English with Mr. Whittaker in room 202.”

“That’s on my way to class.  I’ll walk with you.”  He offered as he helped her get back up to her feet.

“I’d like that.”  She accepted with a blush.  “Are you a senior?”  It wasn’t a bad way to begin conversation, and the question was the first thing that came to mind.

Confirming her assumption, he then turned the question back to her.  “Are you a freshman?  I haven’t seen you around before.”

“My family just moved here.”  Then she thought she should actually answer his question.  “Yes, I’m a freshman.”

Reaching her class, he dropped her off at the door and said he would see her around. 

Hoping so, she thanked him again as he walked off to reach his own class on time.

*******

**Lunch**

When it came time for lunch, Elizabeth had met several students in her various classes of the morning, but she still hadn’t met anyone as friendly as Ethan. 

Walking into the large cafeteria, her first challenge was finding her way through the lunch line.  The school was bigger than her suburban middle school so she was a little daunted by the many directions she could choose.

Focusing one step at a time, she found her way through the line and achieved the first part of the period.  Then came the more scary part… finding a table.

Looking around at the many faces, there wasn’t anyone particularly familiar.  Some she had seen in class, and a few were even in multiple classes, but most had been so focused on finding or catching up with their friends that she wasn’t comfortable with any of them yet.

Spotting an empty table, she began to make her way in its general direction.  Although it was horrible to sit alone, she also didn’t want to be rejected either.  Choosing the seat nearest to the wall, she didn’t want to feel like anyone was staring at her back, instead they would have to keep any action where she could see it.

Arranging her food and beginning to eat, she was somewhat awkward in her chewing as she was also conscientious of the odd glances in her direction.  Many of the students were wondering who she was, or why she was sitting alone, but most were too shy to approach her.

“Thanks for saving me a seat.”

She jumped as a bag suddenly plopped into the seat a spot away from her.  Looking up, she nearly choked as she realized Ethan was sparing her the embarrassment of eating alone.

“Mrs. Morgan wasn’t thrilled with one of my classmates, so she held the entire class back into the lunch period to make up for the time he wasted.  I’ll be back with my food in a minute.”  And he breezed away after his hurried explanation while he pulled out his lunch money.

Staring in his general direction as she watched him navigate the crowd with practiced ease, it took Elizabeth a few moments to regain her control.  Finishing her bite carefully, she had regained her composure by the time he returned.

“Mrs. Morgan?”  She asked in order to understand his comments better.

“The senior English teacher.  She isn’t reputed to be easy, and so far she is keeping to her reputation.”  He summarized.  Digging into his food, he was obviously trying to make up for some of his lost time.  Turning the conversation over to Elizabeth, he asked her how her morning had progressed.

“Fine enough.  I’ve found each of my classes and most of my work is getting signatures and paperwork put together.  Are there any teachers I should be wary of in the freshman classes?”  She carried the conversation, but wanted some of his input.

“Not really, most of them are fairly easy going on freshman, unless you are a trouble student.  Based on our interactions so far, I doubt that would be a problem for you though.  What are your extra classes this semester?”  He bounced the conversation back to her.

Pleased by the compliment, she was surprised to find that she wasn’t relaxing in his presence.  Something about him electrified her and she wasn’t sure why.  Did she have a crush on him?  Putting her focus on his question, she thought through which of her classes weren’t required.  “I have art history and drama.”

Nodding his head while he worked to swallow, he had some advice for her.  “Mr. Hendrix is the art history teacher, and he doesn’t like tardiness or disruptions of his class so try to be on time and don’t be passing notes or he’ll have a conniption fit.  Then Mrs. Worthington will push you to do your best in drama, but unless she sees the next Broadway star in you, she won’t hound you.  I haven’t had her myself, but I heard enough complaints from my friends over the years.”

Thanking him for the advice, she asked to know about him.  She was curious about this friendly young man.  “Did you take art history?”

“Yeah, it’s required before you can get into the deepest art classes.  I like to draw and paint, so I took it freshman year to give myself as many options as possible.  Are you into art, or more into history?”  He continued to eat his meal, but he had slowed down to enjoy the conversation as well.

“Do you have any of your drawings with you?  I like art, but I can’t draw, so I prefer to study the works of others.”  She hoped he would pull out something.

“No, I only have random sketches of junk on the edges of my notes.  They are simply patterns to keep myself awake during the teacher’s lectures.  Have you tried having a good art teacher?  That can make all of the difference in the world.  One of my classmates couldn’t draw much at all, but Ms. Power showed her how to judge her space better and she improved a lot.  You should give it a try, it wouldn’t hurt.”  He seemed eager to avoid showing her those sketches, but just as eager to encourage her.

While Elizabeth was trying to come up with a response as she finished chewing, she was spared the task as one of his friends took the seat on his other side.

“Is this the girl you’ve been sketching all day?  She looks better in person.  Why are you maiming her so?”  He teased with a wink.  Then extending his hand, he introduced himself.  “Hi, my name is Dirk, as in the small sword like weapon.  What’s yours?”

Intrigued to see Ethan blush about the comments on his sketches, Elizabeth instantly liked Dirk.  “Elizabeth.  So, he has been drawing me has he?”  She shyly teased Ethan with a pleased tone to her voice.

Dirk laughed at the glare Ethan threw his way, but he felt Elizabeth should know.

Changing his expression to a soft smile, Ethan turned towards Elizabeth.  “I hope you don’t mind.”  He shyly asked for her forgiveness and hoped she would allow him to continue sketching her.  There was something about her that he felt needed to be placed on paper, but he just couldn’t seem to get it right.

“You can keep drawing me if you want, but can I see some of your sketches?  No one has ever tried to draw me before.”  She hoped he would share.

Pulling out the images, Ethan struggled with the desire to see her reaction, and his fear of how she would react.  He needn’t have worried though, as she loved them for all of their imperfection.

“Can I keep the ones here on the blank sheet of paper?”  She thought they were well done and it was interesting to see how he had focused on various parts of her face or tried different expressions.

“Sure, I don’t need that one for class.”  He was pleased she wanted to keep one.

“So, when are you going to ask her out?”  Dirk asked Ethan.  It was a teasing gesture, but he did have a point.  There was obviously an attraction between the two.

Saved by the bell, Ethan didn’t have to come up with much of an answer.  Although he was interested in Elizabeth, he had hardly begun to get to know her.  For all he knew, she might have just left a boyfriend behind.  Maybe she didn’t want to go out with a senior, or what if she wasn’t allowed to?  He had some questions that needed to be answered before he got his hopes up too far.  “We just met this morning.”

“Yeah, and you draw sketches of every girl you meet.  Come on, you know you like her.”  Dirk used sarcasm and teasing to try and push Ethan.

Holding his ground, Ethan wasn’t going to rush.  “Let her get settled before you go matching her up with people.” 

Blushing madly, Elizabeth was pleased to understand that Ethan was interested, and somewhat relieved that he wasn’t pushing her in any way.  Making her exit while they were arguing, she escaped off to class where she smiled to herself thinking of the sheet of paper with his sketches of her all over it.

*******

**Hallway**

After school Elizabeth was working her way back towards her locker when she found a group of girls giggling as they glanced over their shoulders at her.  When one of them laughed louder with a crude comment, Elizabeth understood what was wrong.  The girl knew who Ethan was and liked him, so she was jealous to see him showing attention to Elizabeth.  Elizabeth was the easier target, so she was trying to destroy her image before she could make one.

Fortunately for Elizabeth, another girl came to her rescue.

“Oh, be quiet.  So what that he helped her collect her books, walked her to class, and sat with her at lunch.  It just goes to show that he is gentleman enough to help the new girl.  Besides, he knows who you are so he is never going to be interested in you.”  Then turning to Elizabeth, she introduced herself.  “Don’t mind them.  They are petty, especially when jealous.  My name is Susan, but you can call me Sue.  You’re Elizabeth, right?”  Shielding her new friend from the cruel comments, Susan stood with a welcoming smile.  She had blond hair and green eyes with a dash of freckles, but Elizabeth was more interested in her actions than her looks.

Smiling, Elizabeth had a feeling that she was making another friend.  Three in one day was a nice start, and she had a feeling they would be ones to stick around for a lifetime.


	2. Falling

**Falling**

*******

**Friends**

Soon enough school fell into a routine for Elizabeth. 

She had discovered that Sue lived in her neighborhood so the girls began to walk to the bus stop where they would ride together.  As they went, the two would talk about their classes, help each other with any last minute homework, and plan their schedules around any upcoming events.  The two were becoming close friends quickly.

Once they arrived at school, it only took a few days for Ethan to figure out which bus they arrived on and to time his arrival so that he walked past the busses in time to meet them.  Joining them as they walked towards the school building, he showed them his favorite place to wait for the bell to ring.  Since class wasn’t ready to start, they simply mingled outside or in the commons area of the school if the weather didn’t permit them to remain out of doors.

Joining him and Dirk quickly met that the group became a foursome. 

Susan and Dirk both liked art, but computers were their passion, while Elizabeth and Ethan were more into the world of art.  Despite their varied interests, the group had their joint friendships and enough common ground to hold them together.

*******

**Homecoming**

After a few months, the first school dance was on the horizon.  It was nearing Homecoming week and the students were buzzing with excitement.  There were costume days, class rallies, and most importantly, a dance to plan for.

Camping over at Elizabeth’s one night, Susan was helping her plan her costumes for the week.  “You should dress up in this white dress of yours and do your hair up in curls and braids.  Then we can add this tiara you have to make you a princess!”  She squealed in excitement. 

“Wouldn’t that be kind of cheesy?”  Elizabeth wondered.  “I’m too old to be playing princess, aren’t I?”

“That’s not the point.  Princesses come in all age groups, the point is to look beautiful and catch Ethan’s eye.”  She teased from her place on the bed.

Liking the idea of looking nice for Ethan, Elizabeth conceded.  “On one condition, if I have to dress up like a princess for Ethan, then you have to dress up like one for Dirk.”

Blushing, Susan was caught in her own admiration.  “He doesn’t seem to show any interest in me.”

Mimicking Dirk, Elizabeth teased her friend.  “He ignores all of the senior girls who try to flirt with him, and he hangs out with us when he could easily go somewhere else.”

Arguing the point, Susan wasn’t going to give in so easily.  “That is because Ethan is around, and they’ve been friends since kindergarten.”

Hounding her point, Elizabeth kept pushing.  “Wasn’t Ethan home sick last week?  And didn’t Dirk still meet us each morning at the usual place, didn’t he walk you to class when the bell rang, and didn’t he turn down that senior girl who asked him to the dance even though she seems to have her choice of guys?”

Conceding to the point, Susan couldn’t fight with circumstances she had witnessed.  Still, she gave it one last go before completely surrendering.  “That doesn’t mean he couldn’t like someone else.”

“Sue.”  Elizabeth was getting a little exasperated.  “He likes you and you know it.  I get the feeling that he is giving you a chance to see if you like someone else though, like Ethan told him to do with me.”

Having Susan’s attention, Elizabeth had to clarify what she meant.  “He tried to pair me with Ethan on day one, but Ethan told him to let me get settled.  I think he is doing the same for you.”

Blushing, Susan liked the idea.  “I hope so, but I also hope he knows I’ve settled into my classes.  Maybe they’ll ask us for the dance?”

Giggling, Elizabeth hoped so.  “We could always go together if they don’t.”

Joining in, Susan liked the plan.  “That would teach them.  Maybe we could dance with other guys then to make them jealous?”

“I’d rather they ask us though.”  Elizabeth wanted to go with Ethan.  It would be more fun than trying to catch his attention or dancing with other guys because he didn’t even show up.

*******

**Dates**

As the week progressed, Elizabeth and Susan felt less and less interested in the dance.  They had their dresses planned and their back up idea of going together, but they were both disheartened as the boys hadn’t asked either of them yet.

Then the day of their costumes arrived and both girls showed up for school dressed as lovely princesses.  Both girls had clean white dresses on and their hair was twisted up in a royal fashion to show off their tiaras.  Some of the girls were giving them nasty looks, but many of the boys whistled their appreciation.

Blushing, the girls both hoped that the guys intended would notice, but were embarrassed by all of the attention the rest of the school paid them.

Reaching their usual meeting place, they had been saddened not to meet Ethan on their way in, but were pleasantly surprised when they saw him and Dirk.  The guys were dressed to the nines in their best suites.  It didn’t ruin the surprise of what they would look like in tuxes for the dance, but it made them look very nice and formal.

Admiring each other, the group was awkwardly quiet for a moment.  Then the boys broke the silence by complimenting the girls on how nice they looked.

Smiling softly as they blushed, the girls looked even better to the boys as they accepted the compliments with return ones of their own.

Then pulling out the box he had kept hidden behind his back ever since he had noticed Elizabeth’s approach, Ethan nudged Dirk to get his.  Moving to hand them over to the girls, they were nervous as they watched them open their respective gifts.

Gasping slightly, both girls were thrilled to see their favorite flower encased inside with a note asking them to the dance.  The boys were too nervous to say what they felt, so they decided to show it instead.

To show their acceptance, the girls asked the boys to pin the flowers to their dresses and kissed their cheeks once they had done so.

With the bell ringing, the boys each took the arm of their date and walked them to class.

*******

**Anticipation**

Throughout the day, Elizabeth and Susan got to enjoy the feeling of security for not only having dates for the dance, but the ones they wanted.  Around them, several other young girls were trying to make plans and figure out what they intended to do.  Then some of the young guys from their class even tried to ask them out for dates, only to discover they were already taken.

Regaining their excitement, the girls were glad to have made their plans and had only to ask their dates what they had in mind.

Making that their topic at lunch, the group settled on who was going to drive and when they were going to be picking the girls up at whichever house they were going to be getting ready.

With that settled, they were able to set back and enjoy seeing each other all dressed up and return to a semblance of their usual conversations.

*******

**Dance**

When the night of the event came up, Susan and Elizabeth enjoyed the fun of dressing up together and helping with each other’s hair while they chatted in their excitement.  Both girls had been looking forward to spinning around the dance floor with their date, but it was finally the night where they were going to get to experience it for real.  Then once the evening was over, they were going to return to Susan’s to stay the night.  That way one set of parents got to see them off, and the other got see them come home.

Hearing the doorbell ring downstairs and the sound of Elizabeth’s parents letting the boys in, they hurried to put the final touches to their outfits.  Then as they descended on the stairs, they could feel all eyes on them.  Elizabeth’s parents were admiring how pretty the girls were, and how grown up their daughter had become, while the boys were each admiring their respective date.

Reaching the ground floor, there was the flurry of parting before they were walking down the sidewalk.  Handing their dates into the car, Ethan took the front with Elizabeth as he was driving while Dirk took the back with Susan.

Conversation was slightly awkward, but the group tried to keep up a semblance of normalcy.  For the girls it was their first dates, and although the boys had been on dates before, it was still different as the girls affected them like no others had before.

Arriving at the school, the boys continued to be gentlemen as they opened the doors and helped the girls out.  Although they were perfectly capable of doing it on their own, it gave the boys extra opportunities to hold their hands and a way treat them special.  Then taking their arms again, they walked them into the dance where they waited in line to be admitted.

Once they were past the lines and free to move about the dance floor, the group found a space on in the corner that was private. 

Putting his hand out, Ethan asked for the next dance.  It wasn’t exactly a slow song, but it was one where he could at least hold her while they moved to the music.  Next to them, Dirk had begun to dance with Susan so the two couples began their evening.

After a while, they were getting tired from the faster songs and chose to take a break for drinks. 

Standing with their cups in hand while they sipped, the group talked some about the decorations, the attire of their classmates, and the other couplings that had formed for the evening. 

Then a slow song came on.  Pausing awkwardly for a moment, the girls hoped the guys were ready to dance again, while the boys tried to get their nerves up.  Taking the first move, Dirk asked Susan and they returned to the dance floor. 

Following his friend’s lead, Ethan sat his drink down and extended his hand out to Elizabeth.  “May I have this dance?”

Having finished her drink, Elizabeth accepted.  “You may.”  She smiled at his formality, but it felt nice to be treated like a princess.

Walking her back into the gym, Ethan put her hands around his neck while he held her close.  Swaying softly to the music, they hardly noticed Dirk and Susan next to them, the rest of the room was simply an unfocused back drop to the moment.  All that mattered was that they were there so close together, and that their arms were wrapped around each other.

As the evening progressed, they continued to either dance with the faster songs, or relish in the slow songs, but eventually the final slow number came up to end the night. 

Taking his last chance for the evening, Ethan held Elizabeth close and moved with the music.  When the final notes were going, he gently pushed her away and guided her into a spin before pulling her back and dipping her romantically.  Staring into her eyes, he smiled as he slowly lifted her back up.  Unable to help himself, he asked her, “Will you be my date to the next dance?”

“Yes.”  Elizabeth was thrilled that she could look forward to this again.

“I’m glad.”  The simple sentence didn’t convey the feelings behind it.

*******

**Slumber Party**

After the dance had ended, the boys had taken the girls to an all night diner where they got appetizers and chatted for a while.  It was a traditional event that occurred after the dances as a way to extend the evening.

Once they had finished the food, the boys dropped the girls off at Susan’s where her parents were waiting to meet the group.  Although it was a late evening, the adults wanted to ensure that the girls got home safely as well as their chances to meet the young men.

With the parent’s approval, the guys were soon headed home while the girls retreated upstairs. 

Changing into their pajamas, the girls proceeded to stay up even later into the night as they recounted the experience.  Then settling into sleep, Elizabeth was pleased to announce that she already had a date for the next dance.

“Me too… Dirk asked me during the final song.”  Sue was still thrilled by the moment.

“Ethan asked me as that last one ended.  He spun me, dipped me like in those romantic movies, and then as he picked me back up he asked.”  With a sigh, she was more interested in reliving it in her mind than trying to convey it to her friend.

With two unanimous sighs, the girls slowly drifted off to sleep with thoughts of their prince charming revolving around in their brains.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, reviewing/commenting, leaving kudos, following/bookmarking, and choosing to favorite :D
> 
> Alrighty people, my sister decided to take a sisters trip this weekend, so I won't be hear to post next Sunday. Also, I recently finished rereading this story and look forward to seeing what you all think... so, I plan to post Friday night while I'm at home, and I'm considering posting again on Monday depending on when we get home and how much time I have. I hope you enjoy and look forward to seeing what you all think of this AU concept :D


	3. Romance

*******

**Movies**

The next week at school, the boys decided that they couldn’t wait until the next dance to take the girls out again.  Coming up with a plan, they invited them to see a popular movie.  It was to come out the following Friday night and was the talk of the whole school.  Although they could go as friends, it would be an additional chance to hang out together.

Presenting the idea to the girls, they were as delighted when it was accepted as the girls were to be asked.

Making their plans again, the group decided that Ethan would drive since he had a car and the girls would be ready at Susan’s if their parents gave permission. 

Returning the next day with the acceptance of the adults, the plans were finalized.

When Friday night rolled around, the boys picked the girls up, and although they were dressed more casually, they were still dressed nice for the occasion.  Repeating their royal treatment, they took the girls to the theatre and were soon settled into their seats.

As the previews rolled, they sat munching on their popcorn and sipping on their sodas.  Then as the movie started, they found themselves absorbed in the plot.

Progressing through the story, the characters got themselves into trouble, and the girls couldn’t help but lean into the boys for support.  Putting their arms around their shoulders, the boys reassured them and they all enjoyed the proximity that it placed them in so that no one moved, even when the drama had ceased towards the ending.

Once the movie was over, the boys took the girls out to eat again before dropping them off at home with the plan to meet again soon for bowling.

*******

**Items**

Soon the whole school knew Elizabeth and Ethan were a couple double dating with Dirk and Susan.  The four were often seen hanging out around school, any dance guaranteed that the four would be in their corner of the dance floor, and they formed a regular dating routine in between.  Every other week had them going to a movie, bowling, or some other activity they could enjoy together as a group.

Their fellow students didn’t bother showing any interest in them, although there were other admirers, as they knew they didn’t stand a chance. 

*******

**Break**

The year was flying by rather quickly, and soon it was half over when the holidays arrived. 

Finishing up their classes for the evening, the students were all happy to be free as the final bell rang for the semester.  Fleeing the premises as quickly as possible, all of the students had other places to be and things they wanted to do with their time off.

Slowly walking acrossed the parking lot, the foursome weren’t as hurried as the rest.  They were simply enjoying each other’s company.  Piling into the car as had become their custom, they took their usual seats and Ethan proceeded to drive them to the arcade. 

It was a popular place for the teens to hang out at, and as no one had any homework there wasn’t a rush to get home for studying.

Competing at the games, Ethan and Dirk tried to one up each other while their girlfriends cheered them on.  Elizabeth and Susan enjoyed the fun of watching the boys compete when they weren’t challenging each other or the boys themselves.

As the evening drew on, they reached the time when they had to be home, so Ethan made his rounds to drop everyone off before heading home himself.

*******

**Shopping**

As the holidays approached, Elizabeth experienced a new kind of nerves.  She had to figure out what to get her boyfriend for Christmas.

Shopping with her mom, she asked for ideas of what a person could get for their boyfriend.

Amused, her mother wasn’t the most helpful, but then she couldn’t say what was best for Ethan as he wasn’t her boyfriend.  Instead, she gave some examples of the things she had purchased for her husband over the years to see if they sparked any ideas.

Not feeling like any of them were the right item, Elizabeth continued to look around in the hopes that something would jump out for her.

Running out of luck, she decided to take one last effort by looking into the art supply store.

Meandering through the aisles, she didn’t know what many of them would be used for, but then she saw the perfect item.  It was a carrying case for keeping completed art work protected.  Since Ethan was using a large piece of poster board taped on two sides, this would be a much nicer and safe way for him to transport his art.  Being both useful and for something that he loved, it was the perfect gift, but she still wanted to do something with more feeling.  With a spark of intuition, she decided to write him something.  She couldn’t draw, but had been studying art history and his art for months, so she should be able to come up with something.

*******

**Composing**

Struggling to make it just right, Elizabeth spent the rest of the week working to compose just the right piece.  It needed to be personal, but not cheesy or something.

Working through draft after draft, she perfected it little by little until she had it just right.

Wrapping it up with her gift, she set it under the tree with the rest of the gifts waiting until it was time.

*******

  **Holidays**

When Christmas time came around, Ethan was invited over to celebrate the holiday with their family.  Accepting it for lunch while Elizabeth was to go to his home for dinner, they celebrated the day with each of their families.

Enjoying the tradition of watching the parade, Ethan told various stories behind the floats and worked to keep Elizabeth entertained.  The more she smiled, the more he did too.

As the smells were drifting through the house, it didn’t take long to become hungry for the meal.

Once the food was served, everyone gathered around the table and dug in.  It was pleasant with a good meal and friendly conversation.

After the food had been consumed, Ethan made himself well liked by insisting on helping with the work.  Making his excuse, he claimed his house rules were that the cook never cleaned.

Welcoming him to the extended family, Elizabeth’s mom liked having the extra help and it gave her some time to get to know him too.

With the mess cleared and the food digesting, it was time to relax in front of the tree for the last gift and a Christmas movie.  Since the family had opened their gifts in the morning, it was just Ethan opening his present.

Feeling a little odd being the only one, Ethan was curios so he focused on what the wrapping might be hiding.  Getting through the paper, he discovered it was a nice carrying case for his art.  Thanking Elizabeth, he kissed her cheek and began going through the case to see what kind of capacity it had.  As he was rummaging through the pockets, he discovered the paper stored in one of the smaller spaces for his pieces.  Pulling it out, he could see that it had Elizabeth’s hand writing.  Reading it through, he was amused to see it was an art critique, but written professionally.  She had honestly evaluated his work, but it was still all praise.  Smiling as he gave her a hug, he thanked her for her thoughtfulness and slipped it carefully back into its place.

Taking Elizabeth home with him after the movie, they met his family and settled in for a lighter meal and conversation.

That time Elizabeth insisted on helping to clear the table away as it was a means of repaying Ethan, it held to his family’s traditions, and it gave her a bit of time with his mother so they could talk.

His family chose to play a family game, so she opened her gift while the table was being set up.

Based on how it felt, she was certain it was a canvas, but what was going to be on it was a good question.  Pealing back the paper carefully, she worked her way through until it was entirely visible.  Gasping, she was surprised to see a reflection of herself.  He had spent months working to get her face just right in his sketches, and then he had toyed with paint until he had her colors just right.  Working diligently, he had put all of the pieces together to form what he deemed as the perfect image of her.

Looking at the picture, she was smiling, her cheeks had a light blush, and there was something to her eyes that only he had ever seen before.  With tears in her eyes, she kissed his cheek and stared at it for a while. 

Although the game distracted her, she continued to think of that picture throughout the evening.

*******

**Kiss**

On New Year’s Eve, there was a dance being held to celebrate the holiday.  Having made plans, the young couples were all going to be there.

Arriving with their dates, Ethan and Dirk steered the girls to the sidelines where they could generally be left alone by the rest of the couples.  Dancing throughout the evening much like they had at the previous events, there didn’t seem to be much of anything different with them.

Then as the clock was nearing the countdown and the crowd was calling out the time, the air between them got a buzz to it.  Elizabeth was excited and nervous, was Ethan going to kiss her?

Still standing together from the slow dance, Ethan was staring into her eyes again, but this time with more confidence.  They had been dating for a few months and their feelings were obvious to everyone around them.  Placing his hand under her chin, he gently lifted her face as he moved closer.  Then when the crowd was cheering “Happy New Year” he closed the distance between them.

It wasn’t a deep kiss, but rather a simple expression of his growing love for her.  Relishing the moment, he kept his face close to hers and his eyes were closed.  Then as he drew back, he opened his eyes to see that she had a similar expression of love in her eyes.

Smiling at each other, they joined many of the other couples in the room who were dancing slowly together to welcome in the year.

*******

**Valentines**

By the time the next major holiday came around, Ethan and Elizabeth were becoming a serious couple.  Their parents were comfortable with them being together, their classmates recognized them as an item, and they solely had eyes for each other. 

It was of no real surprise when Elizabeth got a red rose for Valentine’s Day, or that she had a date out for the night.

Being a romantic holiday, it was one of those rare times where the two couples split up to have their own evenings.

Ethan showed up to get Elizabeth for their date.  She didn’t know where they were going as it was intended to be a surprise.  Telling her to close her eyes as they got close to the restaurant, he didn’t let her open them until they were parked where she could see the sign through the window.  Then instructing her to open her eyes, she was thrilled to see the name of her favorite Italian restaurant. 

Treating her to her favorites, Ethan made the evening special by focusing on her and what she liked.  Then when they were done eating, he took her for a drive to the edge of town where they could see the stars together.

Admiring the wonders stretched before them, they relaxed out on the hood of his car and counted shooting stars.  Holding hands as they relaxed, it was a nice time to talk about their futures, or rather his plans after graduation and how that would affect them.

Once the evening was over and it was time to drop her off at home, he walked her to the door before returning home.  What was going to happen after he graduated… that was something to consider.

*******

**Prom**

When the biggest dance of the year came up, Elizabeth knew she was certain to have a date. 

Although Ethan wasn’t particularly special in how he asked her, it was still romantic to be given her favorite flower with his note.

On the night of the dance, the group went through their routine for such events, but the boys obviously had something in mind as they were nervous again.  Curious, the girls went along with them and waited until they were ready to share their surprise.

Enjoying one of many slow dances through the evening, Elizabeth was surprised when Ethan pulled her further away from the other students on the dance floor.  Secluded off to the side, he pulled something out of his pocket and kept it hidden in his hands.

“I’ve been thinking ever since we had that talk on Valentine’s Day, about me graduating, and I’ve come to a conclusion.  Something tells me you are very special, and I don’t want to lose you just because I can’t be here at school with you every day.  So, I am wondering…”  He paused nervously.  At her encouragement, he finished.  “Would you be willing to wear a promise ring?  To tell the other guys that I am still with you?”

Thrilled, Elizabeth wrapped her arms around him and kissed him.  It wasn’t a proposal as they were far too young, but it was a sign that he wanted to continue their relationship and was still serious about a future.

Slipping the ring onto her finger, he led her back onto the dance floor with the promise that she was going to remain with him despite his absence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading, reviewing/commenting, leaving kudos, following, and choosing to favorite :D


	4. Future

***********

**Reflection**

Standing in front of her mirror, Elizabeth knew the day was going to be a big one.  It was one of those days where her life transitioned from one stage to the next and she was leaving her previous four years behind…  Graduation had finally arrived.

As she observed her reflection, she couldn’t help but think about what had transpired during the course of those four years.

Her freshman year had created the biggest change in her life.  That was the year where her family moved to the city and it was the year she met her future.  On the first day she had met her boyfriend Ethan when he helped her to collect her books, then at lunch he had introduced her to his best friend Dirk, and to finish the day she had met her best friend Sue.  They spent the rest of the year becoming two romantic couples and four very close friends.

Then sophomore year had changed so much, and yet so little.  Sue and she had continued going to classes, Ethan and Dirk still had their regular dates with them, and the girls still had their routines to keep a semblance of what had become normal, but it was still different because they were a year older to be more accustomed to high school and the boys weren’t there to walk through the days with them.  Still, they did have their dances.  The boys weren’t too old for school regulations and they were reputed to be well behaved which made it easy for them to take their girls for a spin around the dance floor at every opportunity.

Junior and senior years didn’t really change from sophomore year.  The routines continued which made the passing of time hardly noticeable.  What did change were the people themselves. 

The girls grew to be young women standing tall and finding a sense of security in who they were.  While their fellow classmates experimented and looked to find the adults that they would be, Elizabeth and Susan already knew.  They were either going into art or computers, and they were ultimately going to spend the rest of their lives with their boyfriends.  Being amongst the lucky few to find their direction early, they could sit back and enjoy their youth for the pleasures it contained.

Although older, the boys had their growth and maturity that developed over the years too.  They filled out to be wider as well as tall which changed their appearance from boys to men.  Academically, they worked to get their degrees, but professionally they started down their paths.  Dirk was working in an office setting, but Ethan found his way into law enforcement. 

Smiling as she spun the promise ring on her finger around, Elizabeth pictured her handsome Officer Rivers.  He stood tall in his uniform and was proud to serve the people of their city.  She was proud because he was proud, but also because he did his job well with skill and passion.

Having gotten ready to go, she walked down the stairs to meet her family and Ethan.  Then they left for the school.

*******

**Plank**

Walking the plank was a new and exhilarating experience. 

Elizabeth had spent the time waiting by either standing or sitting around with the students next to her alphabetically.  It wasn’t any fun because Susan was further up towards the front with enough people in between that they couldn’t talk.  Although she had made other friends, none of them were too close as to be long term friends.

When it was finally her turn, she was happy to hear the cheers and an air horn go off in the crowd.  After having heard the ruckus when Susan took her walk, she knew the guys would make their presence know.  Dirk had blown a horn for Susan, and Ethan did for her. 

Reaching the other side of the podium, she accepted her diploma, shook the principal’s hand, and then returned to her seat with the rest of her row.

Looking into the crowd, she saw where Ethan was sitting.  He had worn his uniform so he could report to the station after the event.  Smiling, she enjoyed knowing he was in the stands watching right next to her parents.

*******

**Summer**

Elizabeth enjoyed the months spent between work and hanging out. 

Work was the dull job of selling clothes in the local mall.  It wasn’t what she wanted to do, but it was an income to help pay her way through college.  Once she had some work experience in sales and a background in art suitable for the industry, she was going to move on to galleries. 

Hanging out was more fun.  She enjoyed her dates with Ethan and their group plans to enjoy their friends.

It was just a more grown up version of their high school days.  The curfews were more lax, they had more money to spend, and they were legally adults so they could even travel short distances to nearby sights to spend the day at places like the beach.

*******

**Dorm**

When the fall came around, Elizabeth and her parents packed up her things and hauled them to the dorms. 

Walking into her room, she looked around to see the bland environment.  It was set up like a mini apartment with several girls all living in the same space.  In the front there was a small kitchenette where they could prepare their food, acrossed from it had a basic sitting room where they could hang out and study, then moving towards the back there was a bathroom, and along the hall were two bedrooms with two sets of bunk beds per each one.

Since there wasn’t a lot of space, Elizabeth had only brought her most needed possessions.  Basics like bedding, clothes and toiletries, a few items to personalize her corner, and her school supplies were about all she had room for in her private area.  The kitchen and public areas were stocked by a combination of the girls, so there wasn’t need for her to bring much there either.

With little to do, it didn’t take them much time at all to have her settled.

Once her parents had gone home, Elizabeth wandered her way down the hall to the apartment where Susan was at.  Although they weren’t in the same room, they were fortunate enough to be in the same building.

*******

**College**

It wasn’t particularly fun having to go to class all of the time, but Elizabeth found a way to make it work for her.

She and Susan spent their mornings studying before going to class.  Then they usually had a few classes to attend before making it to their afternoon and evening shifts.  Once the day was done though, then they were free to hang out with their friends or go on dates with their boyfriends.

It was a lot different than high school because they had to rely on themselves, but more fun because they got to make their own choices.

*******

**Jail**

The first time that Elizabeth got in trouble with the law, she only wanted to attend a mature concert.

Granted, the band playing had lyrics that weren’t supposed to be good for young adults, there was alcohol on the premises, and they were restricting the concert to person’s over twenty one.  The attraction was how popular the band was amongst young adults for its forbidden qualities.  Anyone who could attend the concert would have bragging rights all over campus which had a great deal of students either taking advantage of their age or looking for means to make themselves older.

Not letting that get in her way, nineteen year old Elizabeth made contact with the campus forger to get a fake id. 

An exchange of cash later and one guilty conscious had Elizabeth flashing her card to walk into the concert.  Knowing she was already going to be in trouble with Ethan, she decided to focus on the band instead of attending the bar.  At least she would only have lyrics in her head which would make it harder to be caught.

Still, the observant security guard who kept watching her decided to do a double check of her card.  That was when she found herself walked away in cuffs.

An awkward night behind bars and she found herself blushing to be picked up by one seething Ethan.

“I can’t believe you pulled a fake ID.  You know that it’s illegal!”  He wasn’t the least bit happy with her.  The only reason it wasn’t going on her record was because the guard knew she hadn’t attended the bar.  Going with the scare route, they threw her in jail for the night and gave her a warning.  Those who had attended the bar were going to be keeping them busy with charges and cases so one fewer was alright with them.

“They aren’t charging me with anything, and I didn’t attend the bar.  It was only the concert I went to see.”  She tried to defend herself.

“That doesn’t make it alright, El.”  Ethan lectured her.  “The law is to make people equal, to prevent chaos from being the way.”  Stopping outside of the jail he paused to turn to her.  “I risk my life everyday to uphold that.”

Feeling rather small, Elizabeth hung her head and stood by as Ethan paced around in front of her.  “I’m not promoting crime… it was just a concert… and I did provide a witness testimony as to who the campus forger is.”

Stopping sharply, Ethan walked back over to her.  “You provided a witness statement as to who the forger is?”

“Like I said, I’m not condoning committing crimes.  It was just a music concert with questionable lyrics.  Have you ever done anything stupid to gain a position amongst your peers?”  She cleverly turned the situation back on him.

Sighing as he shook his head, Ethan still wasn’t happy, but he was cooling down.  “Admittedly, Dirk and I did sneak into a concert once… but we weren’t underage, and we didn’t use fake identities.”

“And you didn’t help the police catch any criminals either.”  Elizabeth began to turn the conversation into teasing.

Understanding what she was doing, Ethan began to laugh lightly.  “You little minx, you want to make me remember that I have my own youthful indiscretion in an effort to make yours seem like less of an issue.”

“Is it working?”  Elizabeth began to slowly step closer to him.  With his temper easing, she wanted to repair the distance between them.

Catching her into his arms, Ethan gave in to her charm.  “Did anyone ever tell you that you are too charming for your own good?”

“No, but I’d like to hear more about it.”  She leaned up to kiss him a peck on the lips.  It just added to her flirty appearance.

“Well you are… far too charming.”  He leaned in to kiss her again before releasing her to walk to his car.  Handing her in, he walked around with a light smirk on his face.  She was a handful when she wanted to be, but he was happy that she was his problem to handle.

Returning to campus, Elizabeth kept her secret.  Sure, she had managed to successfully infiltrate the concert, but she had also snitched on the forger which wouldn’t have made her popular.  Taking it as a story to cherish for the future, she decided not to share it with her peers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading, reviewing, leaving kudos, following, and choosing to favorite :D


	5. Forward

*******

**Dare**

Senior year of college was a lot more interesting than her senior year of high school had been.  For one, without their parents there to watch them, many of the youths found ways to get into all kinds of trouble.

Fortunately, Elizabeth kept her previous run in with the law in mind and kept hers to a less damaging level than many of her peers.  Who wanted to be dating a police offer while getting arrested all of the time?  It would cause serious problems for their relationship real quick.

When she did decide to get into trouble with the law again, it was for a smaller offense.

Throwing a party around the dorm with her room mates, Elizabeth found herself caught up into a series of truth or dares.  The girls were enjoying the fun of seeing how far they could push each other so it wasn’t a surprise that it got out of hand.

Reaching a point where they were close to the end, Elizabeth was dared to streak acrossed the grounds to the far side and back.  Running on adrenaline and the determination to uphold her part of the game, she decided to do it.

Getting ready for her run, she slipped into the hallway wearing her robe.  It was going to be embarrassing enough running acrossed the lawn, she wasn’t adding to it by walking through the building too.

Passing her robe to a roommate and taking off at full speed, she tried to beat the security response, but was caught on the return trip.

Getting a different robe draped around her shoulders, the security guards escorted her to the main office where she was held until the police arrived.

Her first time in jail was awkward, the second was downright embarrassing. 

When the morning finally arrived, she was even less eager to face Ethan.  This time it had been less offensive, but more embarrassing.

Looking stern, Ethan escorted her out of the jail again and started walking her towards his car.  “You just had to do it again, didn’t you.  One trip through jail wasn’t enough?”

“This wasn’t the same thing, and you know it.”  Elizabeth kept her voice low and tried not to look him in the eyes.

“Indecent exposure is a whole lot different from a fake ID.”  He proceeded to give her a full telling off as he walked.  When he reached the car, he stopped her so that she was facing him.  “I don’t what to see you hurt, and behavior like that isn’t doing you any favors.”

Hanging her head, Elizabeth had known it was a stupid move, but in the heat of the moment she hadn’t been able to resist.  “I know…”

Pulling her into his arms, Ethan held her closer to him while she cried on his shoulder.  The emotions were catching up to her which meant her guard was down.  Kissing her on top of her head, he held her while she worked through them.  Once she had calmed down, he settled her into the car.  Walking around to the driver’s side, there was something amusing to him about her behavior, but he still didn’t approve.

Returning to her dorm for the morning walk of shame, Elizabeth got a shower, dressed, and tried to regain her dignity by acting like it never happened.

*******

**Degrees**

The remaining months of the year flew by quickly and Elizabeth managed to avoid too much gossip about her previous behavior.  Soon enough, her fellow class mates were either distracted by other gossip, or they were focused on studying for their upcoming finals.

Slowly the embarrassment eased and she was able to move past her youthful indiscretion.  Somehow she was even able to see humor in it.  It became one of those stories where she had to teach herself to laugh, or else she was going to remain embarrassed for the rest of her life.

Knuckling down to her studies, Elizabeth also found her own distraction from any remaining pangs of a guilty conscious by focusing on her preparations for finals.

It had been three years since she had started her studies, and after she had finished her required classes things had gotten more interesting.  There were art classes, history lessons, and information in business management. 

Earning her day to walk the plank again, she felt a different level of pride as she was handed her degrees.  She was finally ready to begin working her way up through the art and business world.

*******

**Packing**

With school finished, it was time for Elizabeth to move on to her next adventure in life. 

She had the teary eyed expression as she moved through the familiar space.  The dorm had been her home for the previous three years so it had become familiar, but it still wasn’t the most comfortable of places with its bland walls and simple furnishings.

It only took a few boxes and little more than an hour for her collect her things.  Boxing them up carefully took another half an hour with most of it being simply folded into the box.  Most of her possessions weren’t fragile so it simply needed to be organized for her to be able to locate them later. 

Then once the job was completed, Elizabeth did a final walk through. 

This was the living room where she and her roommates had hung out and studied.  It was full of tears, laughter, and stress.  The kitchenette still smelled of failed cooking attempts and pop corn.  Then moving back to the bedrooms was full of pillow fights and late night conversations.  She and her friends had spent three years building memories in those rooms and she wasn’t going to forget that soon.

*******

**Trip**

Getting together with Susan, the girls had their after graduation plans in order.

After leaving their things at their parents, they packed their bags and met at the air port.  Then they kissed their boyfriends and hugged their parents before getting onto the plane.

“This is going to be great!”  Elizabeth was excited.

“Oh, you don’t have to tell me twice.  I have dreamed of backpacking Europe, seeing the Eiffel Tour, and maybe even going so far as the Great Wall of China.”  Susan sighed.  “Where are we going to start?”

Pulling out the array of pamphlets, Elizabeth reminded her of their general plan.  Although they had a pretty good idea of where they were going, they did plan to keep it open in case something else caught their interests while they were there.  “We have three months in general, unless we decide to stay with the organization longer.”  She laid out the pamphlet for the volunteer organization they were working with. 

It had two benefits because it gave them free room and board, and it looked good on the resume because it also provided experience and volunteer work.

“We are supposed to start in London for the next two weeks.  Then we get to go to Paris….”  Elizabeth squealed.  “Just think, by this time next month we could be standing in the Louvre!”

Susan wasn’t as interested in the art aspect as Elizabeth was, but she was still eager to be in such famous places.  “There is the Arc de Triomphe, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and so many other sights that we can see.”

While Elizabeth was planning, Susan was mostly interested in the adventure aspect of it.  Although having a good resume worked for her, the art sides weren’t as advantageous for her intended career.  Still, she enjoyed helping Elizabeth and looked forward to anything the experience could offer.

Curling up to sleep, the two whispered their plans until their eyes grew heavy.  With visions of Europe dancing through their brains, they drifted off to sleep eager to see what adventure awaited them.

*******

**Experience**

Waking up in a new place every week or so was exciting for the girls. 

Each time they transferred to a new site, they had new cracks in the ceiling to observe as they fell asleep in exhaustion, every morning meant a new task to learn, and each day meant new opportunities to experience.

Reaching a day off, Elizabeth and Susan enjoyed their chance to curl up and drink a cup of coffee while looking out over a shore with the crashing waves.  Italian Roast on the Italian shore couldn’t be beat.

“Ohhhh, I’m so tired.”  Elizabeth kicked her feet up onto the railing.  “They had me clean that entire wing over the last few days… and old buildings with so much décor take a lot of work.”  She rubbed her neck as she also tried to loosen the tense muscles.

“I had to help install and program their entire new records system.  Although cleaning that place would need precision and endurance, leaning over a computer isn’t exactly a cake walk either.  My neck hurts and my eyes feel like they are going melt out of my head if I look at another computer screen too soon.”  Susan was trying to focus on anything that didn’t have a glare or would be restful for her eyes.  If she wasn’t soaking in the soothing colors, then she was hanging her head and listening to the soothing sounds with her eyes closed.

“Right now I just want to curl up right here and enjoy the feeling of the area rather than see the local sights.  Perhaps next weekend we can take that trip through town, but I think this one would be better spent recuperating.”

Sighing, Susan had to agree.  “Sometimes we just need to soak up the feeling of a place instead of just the sights.  We can get something of that from pictures, but this can only be achieved in the place itself.”

“Umm hmm.”  Elizabeth just sat with her head back for the breeze to blow acrossed her face.

They continued to enjoy their travels as the time flew quickly.

*******

**Return**

Arriving back in the states after a thrilling few months abroad, the girls were happy to flop out on their beds at home.  It felt good to sleep off the jet lag, exhaustion from working so hard, and recuperate from having gone so many places.

Once they woke up the next day, both girls scraped themselves off of the bed and walked bleary eyed down the stairs.

“Surprise!” reverberated through both houses as their families popped out at them.

Elizabeth stepped back and put her hand to her fluttering heart.  They had startled her and she was still exhausted, even after a long sleep.

“Hey, we didn’t scare you too bad… did we?”  Ethan walked up to her and reached out to provide some extra support.

“No, it’s alright.”  She leaned in to him as she laughed.  “I just didn’t expect for everyone to be here so early.”

“We haven’t seen you in nearly four months and we wanted to welcome you back with a surprise.”  Seeing that she was still tired, he promised to keep it short.  “Once everyone has had a few hours to say hi, then we’ll disperse to let you rest up.”

“Do you have to leave too?”  Elizabeth asked him.  She hadn’t seen him in several months and had missed spending time together.

“Not if you don’t want me to go.  I’m off until Monday and free to hang out whenever you want.”

“I don’t want you to go.”  She leaned into him for a kiss before taking his hand and walking into the mass of her family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading, reviewing/commenting, and leaving kudos :D


	6. Progress

*******

**Resume**

Once she was settled back into a home routine, Elizabeth started to work on her resume.  She had the degrees, the volunteer work, and it was time to get a job.

Pulling out the wanted ads and circling anything that looked good, she realized there were jobs in the market, but that it was going to be hard to get her footing in the industry.  It was going to take a good resume and great recommendations to even stand a chance.  Fortunately for her, she had both backing her up.

Taking a day to drop her resume off at each place of interest, she put her name out and then had to wait for each company to review her information before she could expect any responses.

*******

**Special**

One night Elizabeth was standing in front of the mirror as she checked her dress to make sure it looked just right.  The blue brought her eyes out and the lines flattered her figure nicely, but there was something that told her it wasn’t right.

Looking around her room, she decided it was the earrings that were wrong.  Digging through her jewelry, she chose to pull out the ones her grandmother had given her.  They were heirlooms and real gems so the sparkle was dazzling.

With her outfit complete, she grabbed her purse and walked down the stairs.

As it usually went, Ethan was waiting for her and escorted her out to his car.  Settling her down into the passenger seat, he walked around to his side and began driving.

“Do I get to know where we’re going?  It’s not my favorite restaurant again… is it?”  She tried to guess based on her previous experience. 

“Stop trying to get me to spill what the surprise is, because if I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise.”  Ethan smiled as he continued to drive a mysterious route in an effort to hide his destination.  Then as he got closer, he enjoyed seeing her surprise when she realized they were going to the most expensive Italian restaurant in his range of affordability.

“No, this is where you’re taking me?”  She was shocked and thoroughly enjoyed the chance to go.

Enjoying her surprise, Ethan smiled as he hoped to top it before the evening was over.  Parking the car and leading her inside, he gave his name for the reservation. 

As they were led to the nice corner booth, Elizabeth wondered what Ethan had in mind for her.  Unable to get an answer out of him, she had to settle back to eat her meal while she waited for him to reveal the surprise.

When it was time for dessert to come out, she noticed that he was getting extra nervous.  “What is wrong?”

“Nothing.”  He answered too quickly.  “We’re just getting closer to the surprise…”

Opening her eyes wider, Elizabeth waited for him to finish the sentence.  When she realized he wasn’t going to, she changed the topic of conversation and continued to wait.

Hearing the sound of the waiter approaching, Ethan looked up nervously and watched very closely as their food was delivered to ensure that the right dish was placed before Elizabeth.  Then once the waiter had left, he kept her hand from lifting the lid off of it.

“Just a minute…”  Once she was listening, he shifted to be in front of her and started into his speech.  He talked about everything they had been through together and how much more he wanted to go through with her.  “I want to be with you for the rest of my life.  Will you marry me?”  The final portion of the speech was said as he lifted the lid off of the dish to show her the ring and dropped to one knee.

Putting her hands to her mouth in surprise, Elizabeth had tears glistening in her eyes.  “Yes… yes, I will marry you.”

Smiling with the weight off of his shoulders, Ethan moved from his crouched position to pull out the ring and slide it onto her finger.  Giving her a kiss, he wrapped his arms around her in a hug.

Many of the other patrons near them were clapping in appreciation for the romantic scene while Ethan slipped back to his seat.  After a few moments the attention returned to everyone’s respective meals which left the young couple to enjoy their dessert in peace.

*******

**Interviews**

It only took a week before the responses began to poor in.  Many of them were positive with only a few outright rejections.  As long as one of them was willing to take her, Elizabeth would be satisfied.

Sorting through the interviews, she lined them up based on which one she was the most interested in and when they wished to arrange a meeting.

Once she had them laid out, she went work on planning her presentation.  That meant a lot of practice sessions with either Ethan or Susan in order to feel ready.

When she started going through her interviews, many of the interviewers commented on her shiny ring displaying that she was engaged.  Then her little finger also had a promise ring which went well with some of the older set who recognized what that meant.

At her final interview, Elizabeth got to meet the person who appreciated her skills the most. 

“Your records academically and in your volunteer work are exemplary.  However, I would like to ask you a more personal question if you don’t mind.”  With Elizabeth’s permission, she continued.  “How long have you had that promise ring?”

“Ever since my freshman year of high school.  We had been dating most of the year and my fiancé was graduating, so he gave me the ring as a notice to the other guys at school that he and I were still together.”  It had been their promise to remain faithful to each other.  His in offering it, and hers in accepting.

“I’m going to recommend that you get the job, but would you like to know why?”  The interviewer wanted to both teach Elizabeth and learn about her.

“Yes, please.”  Elizabeth was curious what had caused the tipping point in her favor.

“Many of the other applicants have similar records, or better with work experience.  However, you have that promise ring and the engagement ring which represent a loyalty of a long term relationship which is what we are looking for.  We want a young person who is willing to learn and grow in our company, rather than someone wishing to use us as a stepping stone into the industry.  By having those rings, you have the best representation of that that I have seen in your personal relationship.”  She reached out her hand to shake Elizabeth’s.

Responding, Elizabeth shook her hand as she got up.  The interview was mostly over so they were just finishing up.  “Thank you, I was hoping for the chance to learn the industry and for the opportunity to grow in the company.”

Having completed the formalities, they moved to a more relaxed atmosphere.  “I have submitted your information for the bosses to approve, but if your background check and drug test come back well, then we should be able to get you in for training by the end of the month.”  Then she asked if Elizabeth had any other questions.

“No, I believe we have gone over everything.”  Elizabeth couldn’t think of anything that she wanted to know more about.  There would be questions in training, but nothing was left for the interview.

“Good, then we’ll give you a call once we’re ready for the next step.  Thank you for coming in today.”

“Thank you again.  I look forward to hearing from you.”  Elizabeth concluded the conversation and was directed back out the door to leave the building.

*******

**Planning**

Elizabeth had a lot to do.

Taking advantage of the time while her paperwork was finished at the gallery, she chose to begin the process of figuring out the wedding and what would become of her life in the near future.

Pulling Ethan in, she had a lot of questions for him ranging from whether or not he wanted a big wedding to what colors he wanted.

She didn’t want a huge wedding, but she liked the idea of all of her friends and family being present for their special day.  Fortunately for her, Ethan had a similar opinion, but they still had the challenge of figuring out how many people they wanted and who should be included in that number.

Sitting down with a sheet of paper each, the young couple wrote down the list of people they most wanted present at the wedding through their nearest relations and closest friends.  Then they created the secondary list of those that they would be expected to invite from amongst their family and family friends.  Finally, they combined their lists and tried to see how well they could work their plans to accommodate the numbers.

Their next challenge was to decide the size of their party.  Making it simple, Ethan planned on Dirk being his best man while Elizabeth planned on Susan standing up with her.  The role that Susan would play depended on which one married first, as both couples were engaged.  Selecting the rest of the roles was a matter of who was best suited from their families and friends.

In an effort to pick their date, the two started discussing what time of year they wanted to be celebrating their anniversary.  Elizabeth’s idea of Spring with the symbolic appearance of a new beginning worked for them, and then the idea of May and flowers settled the month.  Picking a day was a little harder, but they decided to literally throw a dart at a calendar.  Landing on the seventh, they decided to run with it.

Picking colors was as easy as each choosing their most favorite color and throwing in another to help merge them backed by neutral black and white.

Finally, they went looking for locations.  Lining them up, they used capacity, flexibility for weather, appearance, and affordability, but availability made their final decision.  Settling on their church, they had a structure capable of handling large numbers, availability, and affordability.  Their choice for the reception was a local park with an event center for indoor activities and a lovely landscaped garden for outdoor options.

With the big decisions made, they just had the smaller details like clothes, cake, and invitations.  They had time to make them special, so they settled back to work on the littler details in the months until their wedding.

***********

**Work**

When the gallery called to confirm that she had the job, Elizabeth was excited and felt like her life was coming together as she had planned.

Going into training, she started at the bottom rung of the business and simply welcomed visitors through the door.  It wasn’t a job that took a great deal of knowledge and skill, because she could always direct people to others when she couldn’t help, but it gave her a chance to learn the business and industry with the promise of growth opportunities.

Her position behind the desk was a great location.  From where she sat, she could observe the patrons, the associates on the floor, and interact with the management behind the scenes.  It was a view of all aspects of the company so she learned what each one did and how they got their work done.  In addition, her work put her in touch with the computer, phones, and paperwork aspects of the job which gave her hands on access to learning how it ticked.

Working very hard, she gained a good reputation for not only being able to keep her work done, but for being able to pick up slack wherever she was needed.  The jack of all trades experience she was getting suited her just fine and made her bosses look upon her favorably. 

It didn’t take long before Elizabeth was moving to be trained in other positions and learning other portions of the business.  She had the educational background to accomplish nearly any job in the building, but she had no experience which held her back. 

Although Elizabeth was still working as the greeter and secretary by technicality, she was in training for all positions in the company.  Which path she would take next depended on openings and what she wanted to pursue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading, commenting/reviewing, leaving kudos, following, and choosing to favorite my stories and I:D  
> Why am I posting on Saturday instead of my usual Sunday? Because last weekend I finished "Persuasioned" (in addition to "The Black Sheep of the Family" a few days prior) which has been on my writing list for the last several months. To celebrate this finally joining the line up for posting, I'm posting twice this weekend with another chapter tomorrow where we get to see the start of the twins ;)


	7. Marriage

*******

**Last**

When the day of the wedding finally came about, Elizabeth was surprised how quickly it flew by and how much it blurred along as it went.

Waking up in the morning, she had looked about her childhood bedroom knowing it was the last time she would be waking up there.  Stretching and rolling over to hug her pillow, she looked around at the space.

The walls had pictures from her childhood, much of her furniture was still around, and there were odds and ends decorating other parts of the space.  These were the items that she wasn’t going to be taking with her.  They wouldn’t fit in the apartment, so it made sense for her parents to use them for converting the space into a guest room.

Giving up on her thoughts about the past, she had more exciting things to think about.  Climbing out of bed and getting dressed for the first part of her day, she walked downstairs to help herself to some breakfast. 

Sitting down with her parents, they enjoyed their last breakfast in the house with her as a single woman.  Conversing with them, they mostly focused on the feeling of impending change and the plans for the day with what they needed to do.

Once the meal was finished, they moved apart as they each went to work on their tasks.  Elizabeth needed to make sure that her bag was packed for the Honeymoon, that she had her room picked up for her parents to rearrange, and that she was meeting her appointments for things like getting her hair done.

******

**Preparations**

When the late afternoon finally arrived, it was time to meet at the church for the final preparation prior to the service.

Moving her things into a back room for the bride’s use, Elizabeth settled in to put on her dress and other clothing items.  Taking her time, she tried to keep her nerves and excitement under control while she went through the final stages of getting ready.

Working to help her, Elizabeth’s mom and Susan moved around the room and provided extra pairs of hands whenever they were needed. 

*******

**Wedding**

Eventually, Elizabeth’s mom went out to the church to wait with the rest of the family while Susan took her spot in the procession.  Receiving a kiss on the cheek from her father, Elizabeth smiled as he took her hand and pulled her arm through his arm.  Then as the music began, the procession started to walk down the aisle.

Like it is often described with weddings, Elizabeth’s eyes quickly found their way to the front and remained on Ethan. 

He stood at the end of the aisle watching every step as Elizabeth walked towards him.  Then, when she reached his side, he reached out and accepted her hand from her father as the ceremonial passing of protective responsibility. 

Turning to the preacher, they said their vowels and slipped the rings onto each other’s fingers.  Once he was directed to, Ethan lifted the veil up and back before leaning in for their first kiss as man and wife.  Then they turned to their collected family and friends to be introduced as the new Mr. and Mrs. Rivers.

Going back down the aisle, they passed through their congratulating loved ones and made it out to the limo. 

*******

**Reception**

Regrouping at the park, they enjoyed the less formal environment of their loved ones and the party atmosphere.  Collecting inside of the event center, they settled around the tables with their food and conversations to celebrate.

Throughout the evening, there was the father and daughter dance, the various collections of couples dancing on the floor, and the sweetness of Ethan and Elizabeth feeding each other with cake.

The families melded well and their marriage got off to a good start. 

Then soon enough, it was time for the couple to leave for their honeymoon while the remainder of their guest continued to relax for a little longer before their parents took care of the final details for the evening.

*******

**Honeymoon**

The young couple couldn’t afford anything too fancy, but they did manage to save enough money for a trip to the Caribbean. 

It was a tropical paradise with the sand, sun, and ocean breeze. 

Mornings meant lounging around the room before playing tourist through the local sights and restaurants.  Their hotel had hammocks that welcomed lazy afternoon naps after swimming.  Then the evenings had food and dancing before the irresistible long walks on the beach while holding hands into the sunset.

*******

**Home**

Returning after their honeymoon, Ethan and Elizabeth walked into the apartment building that was their first home.  It wasn’t big or fancy, but it was a good place for a young couple to start out.

When they arrived at their door, Ethan unlocked it before blocking Elizabeth’s entrance.  “Now, I wouldn’t be fulfilling my duty as a groom if I didn’t carry my bride over the threshold.” 

Laughing at him, Elizabeth teased.  “But you did the night when we came home after the wedding, and when we reached our hotel at the island.”

Being stubborn, Ethan still held the door.  “Yes, but this is our first night home and settling into our life together.  When I carried you over this threshold before, it was to change and drop off our things before heading to the airport.”  He leaned in to kiss her temptingly.  “The hotel room was our honeymoon and technically our first night together after sleeping on the plane.”  Still standing close to her, he tried to persuade her to allow him his way.  “Please, just one last time…”

“Alright.”  She kissed him.  “When you put it that way…”  Her giggles interrupted her sentence as he swept her into his arms again.

Moving to gently pass through the doorway, Ethan was careful not to hit her head or her feet.  Then once he was inside of their first home together, he settled her down onto her feet before kissing her again.

After a few minutes, they remembered their luggage still sitting outside of their open door.  Laughing, they moved to haul their things in and get them put away. 

Pausing to place a quick call for pizza, they finished getting their home into as much order as the evening would allow before settling down to eat.

*******

**Routine**

Married life suited them well and the newlyweds quickly found routines to their lives.

In the morning, the first one up would start the coffee, which was usually Ethan.  Then the second one would prepare the breakfast while the other got ready for work.  Elizabeth enjoyed cooking and she proved to be decent at the task from the start.  Her mother had taught her to cook growing up so she only needed to perfect her skills.  After the meal was completed, Ethan would clean up while Elizabeth finished getting ready.

The quiet while Elizabeth got ready for the day was a good time for Ethan to play with his sketches.  Putting his ideas to paper in the morning meant that he could transfer them to canvas in the evening when he had more time for the messier aspects of art.

Finally, when both were ready to go, they would head out for their days with Elizabeth going to the gallery while Ethan headed to the station.

When the evening came around, Ethan would occasionally grab some take out on his way home, or Elizabeth would have it waiting for him.  They tried to eat dinner as a family when possible so that their days started and ended together.

During the evenings, they had their hobbies, work that they would bring home with them, or relaxing activities like watching a movie.

Keeping the romance, Ethan tried to take her out on a date at least once a month.  Sometimes it was for their favorite restaurant, other time the movies, and sometimes it was more cultural like museums.  In between their dates, he loved to surprise her with flowers.  Bouquets would show up special delivery for her at work, there would be a rose laying on her pillow if he had to work nights, and sometimes she would come home to find a new arrangement decorating their table center.  By keeping it random, Ethan kept the romance and excitement in their relationship.

Elizabeth had her own strategies too.  She perfected her skills at Ethan’s favorite meal, special desserts were always on hand for when he had a hard day, and one of his favorites were the times when he came home to discover a Nerf gun on the counter with a note that the games had begun.  Playing along, he would dodge the expected cheap shot before challenging her to do better next time. 

Between the two of them, they kept their romance sparked, their work continued to advance, and they grew together as a couple.

*******

**Expecting**

Months past and soon the Rivers had celebrated their first anniversary with the second halfway towards coming around again.

Curling up on the couch for the morning, Elizabeth intended to take advantage of the quiet to read.  Life had been busy and she wasn’t feeling too well, so she hoped that a break would stave off any illness looking for a weak point of entry.

Sipping a soothing tea and munching on crackers, she thought that her strategy might be working.

Then the familiar nausea settled in and she was soon running for the bathroom.

Once her system seemed to be settling down again, Elizabeth returned to her spot on the couch.  It was transitioning into the afternoon so she hoped that she could hold out until the evening when Ethan could grab a few things from the store for her.

“At least the morning sickness seems to be passing.”  She said to herself as she tried to find her spot.  Starting to read, she didn’t make it through the first sentence before she stopped.  “Morning sickness…?”  Thinking through her recent symptoms, they all pointed to one likely cause.

Grabbing her shoes, purse, and keys, she was halfway to the door before she stopped herself again to second guess. 

Feeling even more certain in her understanding, she finished leaving the apartment and headed for the nearest corner pharmacy.

Returning shortly with her supplies, she took the pregnancy test, and anxiously paced while waiting for the results.

When the timer went off, she raced to read the results… positive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading, reviewing/commenting, and leaving kudos :D


	8. Pregnancy

*******

**News**

That evening, when Ethan arrived home, he found Elizabeth trying to read while her smile kept splitting her face.

“What has you so excited?  This morning you looked like you were going to be sick.”  He questioned the change.

“Think through my symptoms recently.”  She helped his tired mind by listing them for him.  “Now, what do those symptoms combined tell you?”

Going around and around in his thoughts, Ethan wasn’t on the right track, not even close.  “It doesn’t sound like food poisoning or the flue.  Is there a new strain?”

Smiling as she moved to kiss him, Elizabeth continued to tease him with hints.  “Only females catch this strain, but the males give it to them.”

Puzzled, Ethan had even fewer ideas as to what she could be hinting at.  “What are you talking about?”

“Sadly, it can last up to nine months for some women, but the reward is worth it.”  Elizabeth stared into his eyes as she got more obvious in her wording.

“Nine months… only females, but the males…”  It dawned on him.  “We’re pregnant?”

Pulling the results out from behind her back, Elizabeth gave him the proof.  “It hit me earlier when I said ‘morning sickness’ to myself as it passed into the afternoon and I felt better.”

Stealing another kiss, Ethan’s eyes were bright and shining.  “We’re going to be parents!”

Hugging him closely, Elizabeth was elated.  She was expecting and her husband was excited.  It didn’t matter if the child turned out to be a boy or a girl, they were going to be loved and cherished.

*******

**Preparations**

After the confirming visit to the doctor, Elizabeth and Ethan began the serious efforts to make plans.  They already had a few general ideas if they should have kids soon, but now that one was coming it wasn’t theoretical anymore.

The nursery needed to be set up, the apartment baby proofed, a birthing plan arranged, and so on.  Being first time parents, they got a little over zealous, but that was understandable considering the circumstances.

Working through their list piece by piece, it came time for them to have their first glimpse of the baby.

*******

**Numbers**

Holding hands while they debated on knowing the gender, they waited for the next stage of the appointment.

Reaching the point where the choice needed to be voiced, they settled on not knowing the gender.  Let the kid be a surprise.

“I understand the appeal of waiting to know the gender, but, do you want to know how many?”  She shocked them.

“How many?  Elizabeth exclaimed while Ethan echoed her sentiment.  “You mean, there’s more than one?”

“Yes, there is more than one.”  Came the stable reply.  She seemed to be subtly excited, but they weren’t her kids.

Exchanging a look, Elizabeth and Ethan knew that they wanted to know how many to expect.  Of one accord, they asked for more details.

“Twins, and the two of them appear to be identical.  Congratulations, that’s a one in two hundred and eighty-five chance to have identical twins.”  She showed some of her excitement.  “My husband and I always wanted twins, but we weren’t that fortunate.”

Stunned, Elizabeth suddenly imagined two little dark haired and blue eyed babies.  On one side, she had two blurry little figures running around and playing, but on the other side she had two loud voices crying and fighting… this was going to be a bigger change in their lives that they had expected.  “Twins…”

“Uh huh.”  Ethan was just running blank for a few moments while his mind tried to catch up to the fact that he was going to be a father to two children.  He was ready for one, but needed some time to adjust to two.  “That is something we hadn’t talked about.”

“We were excited for one… two is going to take some adjusting to.”  Laughing slightly, she realized something else that she hadn’t considered yet.  “We are going to need to ask for our parents to provide doubles for the baby shower… we’re going to need two of nearly everything.”

“Wow…”  Ethan started to plan how to work that out.  “The nursery is going to be rather crowded too.  Our apartment isn’t going to feel empty much longer.”

“No, I think we will have times where we will miss the quiet that we have now.”  Elizabeth agreed.

“If you don’t mind my input, based on what I have observed of the two of you in your appointments, I think you are going to be wonderful parents.  These two little ones are going to have a happy little home to grow up in.”  Their physician commented.  She had a few children of her own and enjoyed taking part in bringing others into the world to watch new families form.

“Thanks, we are looking forward to meeting them… it’s just going to take some time to rearrange our plans and wrap our minds around there being two of them.”  Elizabeth responded.

Kissing Elizabeth on the forehead, Ethan agreed.  “We are going to enjoy having two little ones, and them being the same age means that they can play together, but it’s definitely twice as much as we were expecting.”

Seeing that they were adjusting to the news, the appointment proceeded and they were sent home to begin making their adjustments with the impending arrival of two.

*******

**Shower**

When the day came that they were having their family and friends together to share the news, Elizabeth and Ethan had kept the secret, so they were looking forward to the reactions.

Susan and Dirk were the first to arrive.  “Hello, we’re so excited for you two.”  They hugged and congratulated the other couple.  Although the group was still very close friends, they weren’t able to hang out together the same way that they had as youths.  Life continued to roll along and they were constantly working to keep up.

“Thank you.”  Ethan and Elizabeth were grateful for their sentiment.  “Maybe one of these days we will be hearing such news about you?  Elizabeth teased.

Looking down cast, Susan didn’t like the news that she had been keeping.  “Unfortunately, that isn’t going to happen the natural way.  We can’t have children.”  Keeping the tears at bay, she tried to deflect to avoid taking from their joy.  “Today is about celebrating your little bundle of joy, let’s not dwell on our situation.”

Agreeing, the Rivers changed the subject.  “If you don’t mind, we have some things to talk about with you after the shower, and wondered if you would stay later?”  Ethan asked.

Sensing an idea of what was coming, Dirk and Susan agreed enthusiastically.  “We don’t have any plans.  Maybe we can get some dinner if no one is too full from Elizabeth’s snacks?”

“Deal.”  Ethan agreed before pulling Dirk into a hug and hauling him off for their conversation of projects and building things while leaving their wives to their own conversation.

*******

**Reveal**

After the games had been played, the gifts had been opened, and the families were getting too eager to wait any longer, Ethan and Elizabeth pulled two signs from behind their backs.  Ethan’s read ‘Identical’ while Elizabeth’s read ‘Twins’ to the delight of their family and dearest friends.

“Congratulations!  Twins, and identical too… this is going to be so much fun!”  Elizabeth’s mother was thrilled.

Nudging Ethan in the ribs, Dirk teased.  “Now we know who you are going to be policing for the next eighteen years.  Double trouble.”  Then he threw a wink in Elizabeth’s direction. 

Smacking her husband’s arm, Susan didn’t want him to tease their friends too much.  “Be nice, Dirk.  I think they will be well behaved… Elizabeth isn’t so bad, and Dirk is certainly well behaved.”  Then she moved to dodge the pillow that Elizabeth tossed at her while laughing.

“Alright you two.”  Ethan’s mother grinned at their antics.  She had always enjoyed watching the close group of friends.  Her son and his friend had chosen their wives well.

“Have you decided on any names yet?”  Came some of the questions followed by suggestions.

Enjoying the humor, they laughed at some of the ideas, but already had their choices in mind.

“Actually, we each picked our top two choices for boys, and our top two choices for girls.  Then we played off of that for first and middle names.”  Ethan explained.

“What did you come up with?”  They were questioned until they gave in.

“Neal George and Bryce Patrick for boys, and Abby Rose and Chloe Rayne for girls.”  Elizabeth shared.  Although the family didn’t seem entirely thrilled by their choices, they were generally accepted.

“Is there any significance to why you chose those names?”  Susan asked.

“Patrick is a good Irish name based on our heritage, and George is a dignified name that has been around for a long time.”  Ethan defended his choices.  “Elizabeth isn’t as fond of them, and I like her choices so we moved them to the middle names for the boys.”

“The names aren’t bad, but I like Neal and Bryce better.  Bryce is nerdy and smart, while Neal… it’s also Irish, but there is just something that I like about it for the little dark haired boy I picture.”  Elizabeth defended her choices.

“I like your names too, so it works just fine by me.  Besides, if I we have girls, then I get the first names while you get the middle names, so it’s entirely fair.”  He teased.

“You picked Abby and Chloe?  Why those names?”  His mother was curious.

“Abby seems like a pretty little girl in a dress, but also an adventurer always asking questions… while Chloe, she seems like she would be a smart little girl curled up with a book and reading in the corner.  I don’t know exactly, it’s just, that reading through the overwhelming number of names, that these feel right.”  It was Ethan’s turn to defend his choice, even though he didn’t entirely know why he had chosen them.

“They’re going to be whomever they chose to be regardless of what we name them.”  Elizabeth reminded him.  “Besides, I like the idea of making at least their middle names sound the same, because they’re identical twins.  It isn’t as bad as first names that sound alike, but it’s still fun to play off of their similarities.”

*******

**Plans**

Keeping Susan and Dirk after the rest of the guest had gone home, they assisted in the clean up before collecting their coats to head to a nearby Italian restaurant.

Settling in at their table, the couples had some preliminary conversation as they figured out orders and how they were more looking for a light meal than a full dinner.

With their orders placed and the waiter gone for a while, they got down to business. 

“So, what did you want to talk to us about.”  Dirk went straight to the point.

“Well, since we are now expecting to have two children, we need to make plans… and not just for the nursery.”  Elizabeth took a deep breath.  “What we wanted to ask you, was if you would be willing to be the twins’ God-parents, to take care of them, should anything ever happen to both of us?”

Having expected something along those lines, Susan and Dirk had been able to slip in a little conversation throughout the afternoon.  “Yes, we would love to!”  Was their conclusion.

Relaxing, Ethan and Elizabeth had that worry of their plate and only had the formalities to arrange.  “We left the papers back at the apartment, as we wanted to give you time to think about it, but if you’re certain, we can go over them after we eat.”  Ethan suggested.

“Don’t worry about it, we have had all afternoon to think about it, and a few hours to readjust after learning that we would be talking about two.  We are certain, and we would love to be a part of their lives in the hope that you remain the picture with no need for us to take over.  You are our friends, and as much as we would love to have children, losing you isn’t worth it.”  Dirk answered.

With nothing else to worry about, Ethan and Elizabeth only had final touches and to wait until the pregnancy came to its conclusion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading, reviewing, leaving kudos, following, and choosing to favorite :D


	9. Life

*******

**Birth**

Standing in the hospital hallway, Ethan couldn’t yet believe that the two dark haired and blue eyed boys squirming around in the front row were his.  Neal and Bryce.  It was almost surreal to think that they were in the world and observable for him, not just a large bump of Elizabeth’s belly.

“Which one is yours?”  Another father asked as he stood looking through the glass at the many babies.

“The twin dark haired boys in the middle of the front row here… their location gives me a good viewing spot while their mother sleeps.”  Ethan answered.  “Yours?”

Pointing to a little girl, the man motioned towards his child.  “The blond to the left of your boys.  They sure have some lungs for such small little beings.”  He grinned at the wails that had been set in motion.  Some baby or another had started which soon set the rest off.

“Yeah, and I think my boys might be the loudest in there.”  Ethan winced at the sheer volume.

Nodding in general agreement, the other father wasn’t so sure.  “Maybe, but my little girl seems to be giving them some hearty competition.  Her older sister has always had a set of lungs on her too.”

Feeling overwhelmed, the nurse inside offered to let the fathers help to calm the children by each taking their own.  Agreeing happily, the men were still relishing every opportunity to hold their children, especially Ethan as these were his first.

“Do you have any other children?”  The other father asked as he noticed how awkward Ethan was with the boys.  He had one in each arm and was trying to rock them.

“No, these are our first.”  He answered almost absent mindedly as he tried to figure out how to get his rhythm.

“Like this.”  The other father showed him how to move in order to have a more calming effect.  “It’s hard at first, to figure out just what the kids need, but after a while they hardly have to whimper and you know just by the sound whether they’re hungry, scared, or need a new diaper.”  Seeing that Ethan was already getting it, he encouraged him.  “You already have the rocking rhythm down.”

Hearing the cries begin to subside, Ethan hoped that he was at least getting somewhere with it.  “That’s good… because I get the feeling that these two are going to make me get a lot of practice over the next few years.”

Starting to laugh, the other father quieted his noise down.  “They will, and most of it in the next few months too.”

Sighing, Ethan knew that it was going to be a long and hard time until the twins were accustomed to the world around them, but he also knew that it was going to be worth it to watch them grow.

*******

**Nursery**

Taking the twins home meant that Ethan had to carry one baby in while Elizabeth carried the other, and then he ended up returning to the car for the bags and other items while Elizabeth got the twins settled in.

Returning once the bags were safely placed in the living room, Ethan figured that they could unpack as soon as the twins were asleep.

“They look so peaceful sleeping like that.  You wouldn’t think they could produce as much noise as they did on the drive home.”  He noted in a whisper.  The idea of waking them up was too terrifying after their first road trip.

Yawning, Elizabeth was still tired after having them, the hospital routine, and all of the care they needed from her.  “They aren’t used to much of anything in the world yet, so everything is rather new and scary at this point.”  She gently ran a hand over each of their heads as she stroked their hair.  “Our babies.”  Turning to kiss Ethan, she went towards their bedroom for a nap which left Ethan another few moments of looking at them before he went to take care of their bags.

With the necessary work done, Ethan decided to join Elizabeth to get some sleep while they could.  With two newborns in the house, it was a good plan.

*******

**Normalcy**

Even brining a pair of newborns into the household didn’t prevent the Rivers from finding normalcy again. 

Life changed to the process of Ethan getting ready for work, making more of breakfast while Elizabeth got ready and took care of feeding the twins.  Then they tag teamed to load the two babies into their car seats for the trip to their grandparents.  Day care was expensive, so it was cheaper to give them quality time with grandma and grandpa while the family was still adjusting to their new numbers. 

Not willing to sacrifice their time, Elizabeth’s parents adored their grandchildren and loved the chance to spend as much time with them as possible.  It was tiring sometimes, to handle two babies, but they knew that school and such things in life would only be so many short years down the road and that they would never have such opportunities again.

With the kids safely in the loving care of their grandparents, Ethan and Elizabeth could each go to work without worrying about them and focus on getting their jobs done.

Then at the end of the day, it was a reversal of their morning routine where Ethan would help get the twins and then fix dinner while Elizabeth took care of feeding them again.

*******

**Teething**

Soon enough, those dreadful days where the twins were starting to grow their teeth came around.

Screaming cries would rent the air at all hours and the freezer was jammed in ever little nook and cranny that could take frozen things for the twins to gum.  It would help dull the pain for their mouths while easing the aches for their parents’ ears.

One of the nights that Ethan was pulling a night shift, Elizabeth found herself trying to juggle both twins in fussy moods while their little mouths hurt. 

Keeping the fresh teething toys coming from the freezer, she would be putting one twin’s away when the other would be crying for one.  Back and forth, she made her rounds all through the night and ended up calling in the next morning so that she could get a few hours of sleep.

Understanding, her bosses were lenient knowing that she had two little ones to keep her busy.  They had worked out an arrangement for situations like this, and Elizabeth could simply pick up some work once Ethan was home.  It allowed her to be out of the office, but it also meant that her job wasn’t slacking too much for her absence.

*******

**Travelers**

When Neal learned to walk, he wasn’t the type to stand up, fall down, and then try again.  Instead, he observed Bryce’s efforts and failures until he simply stood up and began to take shaky steps.  Although it took him some time to develop the muscles, he had the technique before he ventured.

Bryce was more of an adventurer.  He started to crawl first and was eager to see where he could go.  If mom went into another room, then he was sure to follow.  When he began to walk, it was a series of failed attempts before he managed to remain on his feet long enough to take his first steps. 

Enjoying those series of firsts, Elizabeth would video what she could and Ethan took a lot of pictures when he was home. 

With the growing expenses of two growing young boys, Ethan had to take as many shifts as possible to handle the bills.  Elizabeth was working on promotions and taking extra work home.  Between them, they were managing, but it was still an effort to keep ahead.

*******

**Escape**

When they were reaching their toddler years, Neal was the first one to discover how to escape from the crib.

One night, Elizabeth had put them both down for the night before going to curl up with Ethan on the couch.  It was one of those rare evenings when they were both at home and could enjoy some quiet time as a couple.

Before they could get too comfortable though, the car sounds emanating from the hallway told the tale of a little escape artist.

“Which one do you think that is?”  Elizabeth asked as she moved to see what was going on.

“My vote is on Neal.  He seems determined to find ways to get what he wants.”  Ethan thought.

“Yeah, but Bryce is always looking for adventure… I think he decided that he wants to play more.”  Elizabeth shared her opinion.

Reaching the hallway, they weren’t surprised to see the pajama clad toddler sitting on the floor playing with one of his cars between crawling to drive it down the hallway.

Knowing immediately which one is was, Elizabeth got his attention with her stern voice.  “Neal, what are you doing out of bed?   Didn’t mommy say it was time to say goodnight?”

Looking up, Neal didn’t seem the least bit tired as he was still enjoying his late night adventure.  Blowing air through his lips, Neal held his car up to her while making the sounds like it was running.

Taking the toy, Elizabeth moved to lift the toddler off of the floor. “Yes, that is your car and they go vroom vroom, but it isn’t time to play right now.  You’re supposed to be asleep like your brother.”

Ethan opened the door and Elizabeth placed Neal back into his crib.  Looking over, they were surprised to see that Bryce was standing up in his crib watching.

Their foreboding feeling played out the next night when they discovered both twins playing in their room an hour after being put into bed for the night.

“So much for keeping them in cribs… I think they are getting old enough to upgrade to toddler beds.  It’ll probably be safer too, as I have no idea how they keep climbing out.”  Ethan rubbed his neck knowing what his weekend project was going to be.  Picking up a twin each, they proceeded to tuck them into bed with no way of knowing whether they would stay or not… the next morning they found the twins curled up asleep on the floor in a pile of toys.

*******

**Christmas**

With another round of holidays coming up, it was going to be the second that the twins were present for.  Hoping to make it special, Ethan and Elizabeth went about getting presents wrapped and hidden in high places, set up a Christmas tree, and baked cookies.

Loving the holiday spirit, the twins enthusiastically helped with anything that their parents would allow them to do.

As the holiday drew nearer, the excitement in the house grew because it was the first year that the twins were able to be more active participants.  The previous round they had been babies, but this year they were toddlers and able to open their own gifts.

When the day finally dawned, Elizabeth and Ethan woke up with excited energy, but they weren’t the first ones in the house awake.  Walking downstairs, they found two little boys asleep on the couch.  They had gotten up early, but had fallen asleep again looking at the lights.

 Grinning at each other, they went about preparing the breakfast while the boys got a little more sleep.  They would be less likely to have two cranky boys on their hands for the lunch with families, so they postponed their excitement in the hopes of a pleasant afternoon.

With the food ready in hand, they gently got the boys up as it was time to eat.  Allowing them to remain in their pajamas, they each hauled a sleepy little boy in and set them up in their high chair.

Smelling food, the twins began to eat slowly as they woke up, and then they were more focused on the tree and presents to hardly finish.

Once the food had been consumed, their parents hauled them to the living room before enjoying their enthusiastic ripping of the wrapping paper.  Elizabeth took a video of the holiday to remember it by while Ethan snapped a few photos of his favorite moments.

That afternoon, they got the boys dressed and hauled them to the grandparents’ for a family diner and photos.  It was a memorable day, one that Elizabeth would never forget.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading, reviewing/commenting, leaving kudos, following, and choosing to favorite :D


	10. Change

******* 

**Snow**

Watching the fluffy flakes falling, Elizabeth and the twins admired the glistening swirling masses before they ended in the gathering drifts.

They had started by watching for Ethan to arrive home from a late shift, but ended up mesmerized by the winter beauty.  It was New Years so many of the Christmas lights were still around which added to the sparkle.

“Look mommy!”  One of the twins got particularly excited as a gust of wind sent a heap of snowflakes whirling up into the night’s sky.

“Oooh, that is beautiful isn’t it.”  She agreed with their admiration.

The other eagerly applied to her for the chance to go outside and experience it.

Debating, she decided that it was a beautiful night and that the snow really would be lovely to stand in.  Perhaps they could catch come on their tongues and she could teach the twins the delights of the crystals’ unique shapes.

Bundling them up into their winter wear Elizabeth guided them down to the enclosed space behind their building next to the parking lot.  It was protected from the worst of the wind, but it would give the twins the chance to see the snow in all of its sparkling glory.

Showing them how to catch the snowflakes on their gloves, she had Neal easily mesmerized by the delicate designs.  Then when it melted, she showed him how to catch another which kept him entertained.  Bryce was less enthusiastic about the delicate details, and loved the perspective of the shimmering ocean around him.  Pretending to be a pirate of some sort, he appeared to be battling the waves to avoid drowning at sea.

Working them through their energy, Elizabeth had them just about worn out by the time Ethan pulled up for the night.

As he got out of his car and approached his little family, Ethan found himself suspicious of Elizabeth’s expression and the twins’ telling giggles.  Closing his eyes just in time, he avoided taking his sons’ snow balls too badly to the face, but his wife’s clocked him right in the chest spraying snow up into his face from below.

“Alright, I think someone is asking for it.”  He scooped up a ball of snow to throw at his wife before scooping Bryce up for a swing through the air.  Then to be fair, he picked Neal up as well and spun him around like a high flying plane.

Settling them back down onto the ground, it was time to be heading in for the night as the twins were beginning to yawn despite the cold and their excitement.

*******

**Illness**

After the holidays had passed, the bleakness of winter descended, and with it arrived illness.  A particularly nasty version of the flu was going around which proved dangerous to the old and the young.

Watching over the twins with parental concern, Ethan and Elizabeth twitched with every sniffle that emanated from their little bodies.  So, when Neal began to spend more of his day curling up and cranky, Elizabeth hauled him and Bryce for a visit to the doctor.

Getting both of the boys checked up was a wise move, because if one was showing signs of illness, then the other was soon to follow.

Returning home with one definitely sick little boy, and the other turning quiet as he began to show his own symptoms, Elizabeth knew that it was going to be a long week… the twins had caught the dreaded flu.

“How are they?”  Ethan asked in concern.

Turning to him with tear filled eyes, Elizabeth was afraid.  “The flu… and the same strand that killed the little boy on the first floor.”  As the tears began to flow faster, she couldn’t hold them back.  “Ethan…”

Feeling his heart sink, Ethan was afraid too, but he had to be strong to help Elizabeth with the support she needed to face the situation.  If the twins were going to survive, then they needed the support and combined strength of both parents.  “They’re going to be alright… they have us both here to help them through.”

Knowing that it was going to be an expensive process, Ethan tried to pick up some additional shifts to help cover the available hours and the needed medical expenses for the boys to have what they needed.

Nearly exhausting themselves by working around the clock, they managed to nurse both twins safely back to health and enjoyed the relief when their fevers broke.

Curling up together as they watched over their sleeping boys, Ethan and Elizabeth were glad to see them resting peacefully with their little fists curled next to their faces.

With a face splitting yawn, Elizabeth leaned into Ethan and was rewarded by the feeling of his arms wrapping around her.  “Their fevers have broken… they’re going to be alright after they have some time to get their strength back.”

Grateful for the safety of his family, Ethan held her closer and kissed the top of her head.  It had been a harrowing week and he was just as relieved to see the boys sleeping soundly.  Breathing a long and deep sigh, he relished in the moment as he stood with his wife in his arms before gently running his hand over each boy’s head while his fingers went through their hair.  Shifting, each little one moved their head closer to their father’s warmth before settling in to deeper sleep.

After Elizabeth had a moment to reassure herself once more time, Ethan led her off to their bedroom for a much needed rest.

*******

**Work**

Continuing to work extra hours, Ethan paid off their bills and continued to help keep the department running while so many were either sick or caring for their ill family members.

Running so many hours and with a reduced backup increased the danger in the field, so Ethan risked a great deal to keep doing his work so well.

Responding to a routine call, Ethan pulled his cruiser up in an industrial part of town that was remote from the main population and after hours from the busy work personnel that usually buzzed about.  Dividing with his partner, they each took a stretch of area to walk around.

The call was that a security system had gone off alerting the presence of an intruder, but the lack of valuables meant that it was most likely a vagrant looking for shelter or a little food money before moving on to another location.  Being remote, a vagrant looking for shelter was the most likely theory.

Shining his flashlight back into the dark corners of a back closet, Ethan continued to find nothing, so he radioed his partner to see if he had found anything.  With both officers striking out, they were turning back towards their cruiser when Ethan found himself facing the intruders, and their hostage.

Knowing that he was probably giving his life, Ethan couldn’t help but hold his ground as he raised his weapon to fire one shot, a shot that gave the young captive freedom and a chance to survive, but that sealed his own fate as the captors returned fire.

Hearing the ruckus, his partner radioed for backup and managed to find the victim before leading her to the safety of the squad car.

Returning with back up to investigate deeper into the building, the officer was dismayed to find Ethan injured and barely alive.

Emergency responders flooded the place as Ethan was carried to the hospital and the scene was investigated.

*******

**Call**

Hearing her phone ring, Elizabeth felt her heart stop as she read the number from the local police department.  Ethan always used his personal phone to call; this was the official main line.  Answering with a shaky voice, she already knew what she was going to hear.

“Mrs. Rivers, I’m sorry to inform you, but your husband was injured in the line of duty.”  They didn’t tell her the extent of the damage, just that they were sending two officers over to talk with her.  Collapsing down onto her couch, she cried until she heard the doorbell ring to announce the arrival of his teammates.

Opening the door with red rimmed eyes, Elizabeth had always feared this series of events, the visit to tell her that her husband had died heroically in the line of duty.

Following through their usual protocol, the officers told her what had happened, that he had died to save a teenage abduction victim, a girl who was being taken for the illicit pleasure of her captors.  Then they proceeded to tell her the efforts to save his life, and the ultimate end where they were unable to resuscitate.  When he left the scene, it was just a matter of his death being called officially.

When the officers left, they had taken the steps to call family for the grieving widow and promised to take care of all of the official details.  She was too distraught to form the words needed to spread the news.

*******

**Funeral**

When the day came to Ethan to rest, Elizabeth stood crying at his graveside.  The twins were over to the side with their grandparents and God-parents.  They were minding them as Elizabeth took her last chance to say good bye.

Crying into their hair, she cried some more for them.  They had already been asking for their father, and didn’t understand why he wasn’t coming for them.

“Why are you crying?  Where is daddy?” were their questions.  In their experience, mom crying usually meant that dad would be along to hold her.

“Your daddy, he died to save a young girl’s life.  He isn’t coming back.”  She unintelligibly said through her tears.

Not understanding, but still sensing that something had happened to their father, the twins began to cry too until they were all an inconsolable mess.

Herding them to the cars, the others got Elizabeth settled into a seat with the twins until they had worked through another round of emotions.

******* 

**Finals**

Elizabeth had a lot of final tasks to take care of, everything that came with settling the affairs of the dead.  After the official details were taken care of, then she had the personal details like boxing up his possessions as he no longer needed them.  Some things would be kept for the growing twins, others for her own keep sakes, while the rest was donated with the hope of helping others.

Then with the tasks completed, she was forced to face their future alone.  Before, the future was something that Ethan would help her with, because they were going to face it together, but now, it was just her and the twins.  She was responsible for their family, and she felt the weight keenly.

Coming up with a decision, she felt the need to start new.  Boston was full of too many memories of Ethan, and if she was going to move on, she needed to be somewhere else.

Going through her family, Elizabeth said her goodbyes, packed up her possessions, and loaded the twins up into the car for the few hour drive.

*******

**New**

Following the coast down to the big apple, Elizabeth made her way into New York City.  There, she had gotten another small apartment, was transferring to another gallery, and the twins were going to be settling into a daycare.  It was a lot of change, but the loss of Ethan forced them to move beyond their realm of familiarity.

Having explored Europe, Elizabeth was interested to see what the city would hold for her, while the twins were mostly along for the ride with their big eyes taking everything in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, reviewing, leaving kudos, and choosing to favorite :D
> 
> Next weekend my siblings and I are leaving for Alaska (the last of our 50 states goal) so I will be posting early on Wednesday. We will be getting back the following weekend and I have a few days off where I'm thinking about posting the remaining two transition chapters (depending on jet lag). Then we will be off into more canon characters with an AU twist. I look forward to hearing what you all think of my original creation characters from the first section here, and hope you enjoy the next phase of the story coming soon :D


	11. Moving On

*******

**Routine**

Life found a new routine, and although it was a lonely existence, Elizabeth worked to do the best she could.

Her job with the gallery was proving to be lucrative enough to support their little family, but New York was still an expensive place to live in.  Cutting corners and stretching resources to make ends meet, she was managing.

Each morning, she had to get the twins ready for daycare, drop them off, and head in for a busy day.  Her varied experience at the other gallery gave her an easy entrance into the upper levels of employment, but not such leniency to work around raising her family. 

Then when the long day had ended, she would take home additional work to earn some extra income, pick up the twins, and spend her early evening hours caring for and bonding with them.

Those hours were her time to watch as Neal continued with his interest in art, while Bryce showed more interest in building things and smashing them down, or trying to get his tiny hands on any available technology.

Dinner was usually filled with the twins’ chatter about daycare, the new friends that they were making, and the interesting things that they did.  Listening intently, Elizabeth loved to hear as their speech became more understandable and their vocabulary broadened. 

She tried not to think about the empty seat sitting acrossed from her, but it remained in the event that she should make any friends in the bustling city… months had passed with little progress in that direction though, so it remained a cruel reminder of Ethan’s absence.

Finally, when bath time was over, the bedtime stories had been read, and two little ones were snuggled in bed, it was time for Elizabeth to make progress on her work. 

By keeping herself busy, she hoped to avoid the pain of Ethan’s absence, but each night when she went to bed, the twins could hear her soft cries through the thin walls.

*******

**Saturdays**

The weekends were generally supposed to be a part of her time off, but Elizabeth occasionally accepted the chance to work events to earn extra income.  She needed the finance as the boys were growing older and that meant that they were getting ready for more opportunities.

It helped that Dirk and Susan insisted on paying for art lessons for Neal.  Knowing that his father had been skilled and having watched his enthusiasm, they wanted to ensure that he had prime opportunity to develop his skills to their full potential.  This meant that Neal was kept busy much of his Saturdays and usually came home with paint in random places.

He wasn’t an expert yet by any means, but Elizabeth made sure to mail as many of his pieces as possible to his God-parents, and the rest of them either decorated the fridge, his room, or were put away in storage.

Bryce wasn’t so easily understood.  He showed an interest in adventure and games… so Dirk and Susan purchased a gaming console for the twins to play on and computer lessons for the young nerd. 

His Saturdays were usually spent learning to type.  The resulting achievements were pages of random sentences and sometimes gibberish if he struggled with the lesson, but his computer abilities were off to an early start.

For the weekends where Elizabeth was off, she alternated which twin she would watch for the afternoon.  Sometimes it was the less interesting words streaming acrossed a screen, or the more intriguing colors splashing on a canvas as her son learned to put his thoughts on to canvas.  Getting that insight into Neal made her all the more curious what Bryce would be typing if he was being allowed to choose his own words.

*******

**Sundays**

These were some of the worst days for Elizabeth with some of the best aspects.  She didn’t have work to distract her, but it was the main day where she got to spend quality time with both of the twins simultaneously.

Waking up in the morning, they usually found something fun to make, and the twins were big fans of pancakes with fruit faces.  Then after cleanup, they would make house work a game as it needed to be done sometime and it was more fun to do together.  Next, with the afternoon free, trips to the park meant lunch from a hot dog stand and the boys running themselves out of energy before they all returned home for a relaxing nap.  When the evening came around, it was video and board games. Neal preferred to play Pictionary, Bryce loved video games, and Elizabeth just enjoyed watching their smiling faces as they each got to share something they loved.  Finally, to wrap up the day, they usually watched a movie before it was time for baths and bed.

With the work week starting right around the corner, their day of recharge was usually put to good use.

*******

**Acquaintance**

Working yet another Saturday event, Elizabeth was struggling to keep the smile on her face cheerful and upbeat.  The twins were sick yet again, and she was unable to do anything about it because she was at work for at least a few more hours.

The daycare had called to inform her that both twins weren’t feeling well and to warn that a bug had been going around through the children recently.  Faced with doctor visits and the need to take at least a little time off, Elizabeth wasn’t sure what she was going to do.  Her work covered the needed expenses from day to day life with a lot of effort and work, but all of the extra bills of doctors and pay reductions from taking too much time off were starting to add up.

“Excuse me miss.  Is everything all right?”  A kindly older lady caught Elizabeth’s attention.

Throwing her walls up, Elizabeth tried to keep her personal matters to herself.  “Yes, everything is going perfectly with the show and we couldn’t have asked for a better turnout.”  It was the truth, but not the answer the lady was looking for.

“I am sure the event is going well, these always do as the artist is a local favorite.  It’s not my business, but I was actually noticing that your stress seems to be more personal.  Is there anything I can do to help?”  She was polite, but willing to offer her services.

“No, my boys may have caught another bug at the daycare.  They’re of the age where they catch everything and being identical twins mean that if one gets it, then the other is sure to follow.”  It wasn’t moaning, simply a statement of fact to point out how the other woman really couldn’t help, not unless she had developed an impervious way to keep kids from getting sick.

Smiling fondly, the woman continued to talk to her.  “I remember when my kids were little.  Fortunately, I was able to remain home with them, but they still had a knack for picking things up from the kids that they played with before sharing it around.  My youngest granddaughter is in daycare when her parents have to work, and the number of bugs a single child can bring home is staggering, but to double that would be a handful.”  She had some conversation of her own as she shared that she did generally understand.

Receiving the stink eye from her boss, Elizabeth felt the need to move before she could be reprimanded for chatting with the guest.  The woman wasn’t looking to buy or ask work related details, she was instead focused on Elizabeth’s personal life which wasn’t encouraged.  Ending the conversation, Elizabeth tried to politely pull away, but before she could, the woman introduced herself.

“My name is June Ellington.  Here is my card if you ever need anything, even it’s just getting away for a cup of coffee.”  She was pleasant, but sensed that continuing the conversation could go badly for Elizabeth.

Accepting the card, Elizabeth generally introduced herself.  “Elizabeth Rivers… Mitchell.”  She caught herself going by a combination of her names, lining them up in order, she said it right the second time.  “I’m widowed, so I go by Elizabeth Mitchell-Rivers.”   It was still hard, but time was making it easier to handle the little basics like introductions.

Looking sorrowful, Mrs. Ellington offered her general condolences, reminded to call anytime, and then melted into the crowd.

Uncertain of accepting the offer, Elizabeth still relished the first friendly action that she had received in the city.  Ethan had taught her to be wary of strangers and their intent so she wasn’t going to jump into a friendship, but the possibility was still enticing.

*******

**Friend**

After that, Elizabeth found herself running into June through many of the social and artistic events of the city.  Thinking back, she realized she had seen the woman before their initial meeting, but it had just been the first time they had spoken.

June was an elegant woman wearing tastefully expensive clothes, always dressed in a smile, and often accompanied by an aging gentleman that she introduced as her husband Byron.  They were always delighted to see Elizabeth and occasionally purchased art for themselves or friends for the sheer pleasure of providing her with a handsome commission.

Elizabeth found herself beginning to look for them at events where she learned they were likely to show.  Not for the potential commission, but for the pleasant conversation and easy they offered. 

She hadn’t taken June up on her offer of going out on a personal get together, but the more she got to know the woman, the more she considered it.

*******

**Coffee**

Reaching a point where she craved adult conversation, Elizabeth decided to meet June at a coffee shop in the downtown area near the gallery.  It was a location they were both familiar with, gave nothing personal away, and made for a nice test.

Arriving first at the location, Elizabeth placed her order and found a nice quiet seat off to the back side.  It was away from the door, and especially away from the front where orders were being placed and people were noisily waiting for their beverages.

Sipping on her cup, she watched as several New Yorkers buzzed in and then back out again, but it didn’t take too long for June to show up.  The woman was punctual, but Elizabeth had arrived early to give herself the viewing advantage.

Waving in her direction, June joined the line to place her order before making her way over to the opposing seat with her drink.  “I have great Italian coffee at home, so sometimes it’s nice to try other things when I go out.  This is one of those new flavors, something the barista recommended.”  She smiled as she talked about her choice of drink.

“That does sound interesting.  I’m just happy to enjoy my favorite latte for a change up from the basic coffee that I make at home.  This is my treat for a little me time while my boys are in lessons.”  Elizabeth held her drink up.

“What kind of lessons do your boys take?”  June was genuinely interested, but she didn’t pry too far.  Being a single mother, Elizabeth was going to be very careful of who she let near her kids.

“Art and computers.  Their God-parents insist on paying for them so they can pursue their interests while tuning their skills early.”  Elizabeth answered generally.  She had been getting more and more detailed, but she still held the Ellington’s at an arm’s distance for safety.  This meeting was the test to considering loosening that hold with June.

“It’s never too early to learn.  My husband got an early start in his old trade too.”  June looked off slightly as she remembered stories of the old days.

Turning the questions back onto her, Elizabeth inquired about Byron.  “What does he do?”

Wording her answer carefully, June knew Elizabeth should know the honest truth if their friendship was going to progress.  “Now he works in business.  There are so many opportunities in this city that it has been rather profitable for him… but in the old days, his income wasn’t quite so legal.  You see, my Byron grew up on the streets of New York where he learned to pick pickets and run small cons.  Then as he got older, he fell in with various crowds who taught him how to play bigger games.  After he did a few times in prison, we married, and when he was risking another sentence, he chose to go straight, to be with me and the kids.” Hoping for understanding, June made sure Elizabeth knew his past, but was also aware of the change and reasoning.

“Were you ever involved in his games?”  She asked to get a better feel for June.

“Some, mostly as the hostess while we ran card games and a still out of our mansion loft.  Although it has been renovated towards being rented, it still has the two-way mirror and other hidey holes from the old days.”  She smiles as she recalled some good times.  “We used to have cops rubbing elbows with cons as they all settled in for a good drink and a challenging game.  The peace remained and each side found that they could generally get along, if they wanted to.”

Amused, Elizabeth thought Ethan would have enjoyed something of that.  He wasn’t a drinker and not much of a gambler, but the opportunity to watch how everyone interacted, that would have been fascinating.  Grateful for June’s honesty, Elizabeth didn’t hold her past against her.  After all, she had two arrest records and a felony charge to her name.

“That makes my record sound dull in comparison.”  Elizabeth acknowledged that she was a little more accepting than expected.  In response to June’s curiosity, she generally told her what had happened.  “I used a fake ID to get into a concert, and I also… streaked acrossed campus on a dare.”

June nodded and winked with a smile, she knew they weren’t big crimes, but felonies all the same.  “That sounds more like my youth…”

Continuing to talk, they found that they had a lot of common ground in art, as mothers, and as women who enjoyed travel with a knowledge of the world.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading, reviewing/commenting, and following :D


	12. Child Care

*******

**Suggestions**

As the bills from daycare continued to roll in and the doctor bills continued to be too frequent, Elizabeth reached a point of asking June for suggestions.  “Do you know of any good babysitters that would be willing to watch a set of identical twin boys?”

“Are you thinking of changing away from the daycare for Neal and Bryce?” June verified that she meant her twins.  They had met on a few occasions as Elizabeth grew to trust June more and more.

“Yes, the bills just keep rolling in, and the twins are constantly getting sick.  My hope is that if they were more one on one with a babysitter, that they might not get sick so often.  Still, there is always a risk entrusting someone with little kids.  Ethan’s work as a policeman taught me that amongst many other lessons.” 

“Well, I do have some suggestions in mind, and in the meanwhile I could watch them a few days a week which would help.  I also have a fairly flexible schedule for those unexpected days when you need someone to watch them.  My social calendar has plenty of things to keep me busy, but that is just something to do.”  She enjoyed the idea of spending more time with the little guys.  They were adorable and had a mix of their law abiding father, with their more adventurous mother.

Looking extremely relieved, Elizabeth had come to be rather close to June over the months that they had been meeting.  Slowly, she had gone from coffee in safe public places, to play time in the park where the twins met June’s granddaughter, to the occasional get together at one house or the other.  The mansion was a lovely place to live, but Elizabeth knew she couldn’t even afford a vase so she worried about what could happen if the twins got too rambunctious.  “Are you sure?  I can’t afford to repay you if anything were to happen, and the boys… well, they are growing boys despite their best efforts.”

Waving the concern aside, June loved the prospect.  “The loft apartment isn’t lived in at this point so it can be converted to a play space.  There is a small kitchen good for preparing snacks, a bathroom attached, room to play, and an area where we could put some beds for nap time.  You wouldn’t have to worry about anything, and they would have a safe space to have fun with less risk of getting sick so often.”

As June continued to persuade her, Elizabeth became more at ease with the idea of the loft and knew the twins would enjoy the Ellingtons’ spoiling them.  Who wouldn’t enjoy such an open and airy space for indoor play?

Coming to an agreement, they settled their plans, Elizabeth toured the space, and the next Monday the twins were settling into their new play space under June’s watchful eye.

*******

**List**

Checking out the list of potential candidates that June had provided, either Elizabeth didn’t like them, or the twins didn’t.  They couldn’t seem to come to an agreeable conclusion as to who should be watching over them when June had engagements and Elizabeth had to work.

Reaching the end of the list, Elizabeth wasn’t certain of the last option.

June had met the con in the park where he tended to run minor games on tourist and passersby for their entertainment and his profit.  If he wasn’t in the park, then he was either on a more social engagement, or playing in a bigger game.  Although June hadn’t asked to know the full extent of his activities, she knew he was a nonviolent shadow man of the criminal world with an appreciation for the finer things in life.

When Cindy had met the man, he had dazzled her with disappearing cards and other illusions that she couldn’t follow.  Soon they became firm friends and often bumped into each other on their trips to the park.

Later, when June would have her grandchildren and needed a babysitter, then Mozzie became her favorite go to person when he was available.

Although she warned Elizabeth, June’s vote was for Mozzie to be the other babysitter for the twins.

*******

**Park**

Walking through the park on one of their weekly visits, Elizabeth found herself facing a new hot dog vendor serving lunch.  It was the same stand, but a different person. 

Asking about their usual person, she was surprised to hear that he was sick, so this man, a friend, was filling in.  Introducing himself as Dante Haversham, the man gave the kids their usual hot dogs, and tried to throw in some cookies, but Elizabeth chose not to risk it just yet.  If Haversham proved safe enough, then he would be allowed to give the kids cookies and extra treats, but not before then.

Then the next week, she was surprised to see Haversham holding down the fort at the stand again.  “Is he still feeling sick?”  She asked after the usual guy.

“No, but he is allowing me run the stand for him on Sunday’s so that he can have the day off. It doesn’t pay much, but it gives him some down time while allowing me to meet new people.”  He told them their order and asked if there was anything different, when there wasn’t, he prepared their hot dogs exactly how he had learned they liked them.

As the weeks continued to pass, Elizabeth got used to seeing the new guy, had confirmed the story by seeing the usual guy on a Saturday, and generally accepted Haversham as their Sunday server.

Once the twins and Elizabeth were used to him, she would allow Haversham to occasionally include a cookie for the boys and herself to enjoy, or some other treat that he would find a way to give them.

Falling in love with his charm and the treats he provided, the twins were soon fans and looked forward to their weekly meetings.

Finally, one of the days they went for their usually time in the park, Haversham didn’t just serve them their lunch, but he also pulled out some cards and spent some time entertaining the boys.

Seeing him for the con artist he had been all along, Elizabeth realized he had been giving them the chance to get to know him before passing judgement.  Deciding to give him a chance, Elizabeth promised to call when she needed him.

“You can call me Mozzie.  Dante Haversham is just a street name I use.”  He introduced himself once she had figured him out.

“Why don’t you use your real name?”  Elizabeth wondered.

“My parents abandoned me, so I don’t know my real name for certain.”  He confessed.  “I was raised in an orphanage and ended up on the streets young.  Reading and this is how I learned to survive.”

Encouraged all the more to give the man a chance, Elizabeth wanted to help him earn an honest living, but she also had some serious rules for him to follow if he was going to be alone with her children.

*******

**Rules**

When Mozzie arrived at their small apartment for his first run at babysitting, Elizabeth knew she didn’t have to worry about him robbing her, there wasn’t any valuable enough for him to bother.  Instead, she focused on laying down her ground rules.

“First and foremost, you will not do anything that could put my boys in danger.  If you have any reason to believe that anyone could be tailing you,  or posing a potential threat to them, you will either call me or take them to June, and I don’t want to see you anywhere near us until the danger has passed, do you understand me?  I have already lost their father, and I will not tolerate anything that could risk them.”

“Second, and as an attachment to the first, there will be no illegal activities in my house, my children aren’t to be used in cons, and do not teach them how to commit crimes.  They are children, not mini criminals in training.”

“Third, I don’t mind the occasional cookie or treat as desert or with snack, but they are not to be eating junk food and ruining their appetites.  Dinner is after I get home and we often have some kind of dessert on the weekends.”

“Fourth, you will be allowed to discipline them by placing them in the corner, taking toys away, or not giving them cookies when they have snack time.  Anything in need of more drastic measure will be up to me, so notify me of any misbehavior when I get home.  They are my kids, and I am the disciplinarian, but they should also respect and behave for you.”

“Finally, all of the emergency numbers are on the fridge, and you know the basics of how to tell them apart.”  She gave him the final tour by showing where their things were if needed.  Then she told them goodbye.

As she grabbed her things to go, she had her parting words for Mozzie.  “June has advised me not to ask what you do on your own time, but what you do with my children is completely my business, and I expect you to follow my rules for their safety.”

*******

**Babysitting**

Getting a second and third tour from the twins, Mozzie found himself learning the layout and arrangement very quickly.  It wasn’t a big apartment and Elizabeth couldn’t afford to furnish it with much, so there wasn’t much to memorize.

Putting his eidetic memory to use, Mozzie worked to learn which twin liked what, where they chose to keep their respective toys and the joint collection, and how to work with each twin.

His favorite way to work with Neal was to play classical music to stimulate his brain while encouraging him to practice his painting skills.  Although his mom wouldn’t let him be used in crimes, the kid had some serious potential and could someday be the next great legend that everyone else tried to forge.

Bryce was less tolerant of the classical music, but he did allow Mozzie to work his strategies at game playing.  Spending hours going through the challenges, they found short cuts and new ways to beat levels until Bryce had the entire game beaten.

Growing proud of the twins quickly, Mozzie loved their brilliance and skills.

When he wasn’t encouraging them to pursue their own skills, he enjoyed telling them stories of conspiracy theories and ideas he had about the world around him.  It entranced the kids for a time and gave him a means of shaping the young minds of the next generation.

Another favorite pass time, was when Mozzie would pull out his cards.  He didn’t teach them crimes as he had promised, but it didn’t mean that he couldn’t dazzle them with tricks and illusions.  After all, those were legal means of entertainment used in gambling joints, illusionist shows, and as simple means of impressing friends at parties and tournaments.

Passing the cards from one hand to the other and back again, he had the twins watching his every move, or so they thought.  Just when they thought that they knew where the card had gone, he would pull them from places like behind their ears or have them grab it out of his pocket.

*******

**Approval**

Coming home in the evenings often meant that Elizabeth was regaled with stories of people living under the city, failed card tricks, and lessons about art or computers that Mozzie had taught them.

She monitored what they had to say and was always watchful of what Mozzie was sharing with them.  Although she wondered about some of his ideas, she generally approved of his methods of encouraging the twins.

He taught them to think independently, made them practice their skills, and took care to do what he could to improve their future.

Growing to like the criminal more herself, Elizabeth even found herself inviting Mozzie along with June on some of their outings.  It became a means for her to enjoy adult conversation while the twins were in lessons, and as a means of keeping in touch with the people who watched her children throughout the week.

*******

**Home**

Slowly, the city began to be more comfortable.  Elizabeth still had her work which paid the bills, Mozzie and June helped wonderfully with the childcare by babysitting and keeping the boys healthy, and they also provided friendship to Elizabeth without the memories of Ethan.

Dirk, Susan, and the families could easily visit on weekends and holidays when their schedules allowed, so the family wasn’t losing any of its previous connections either.

Life was moving on and the city had become their home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, commenting/reviewing, leaving kudos, and choosing to favorite :D


	13. Interests

*******

**Interviews**

Growing more confident and beginning to feel secure in the city, Elizabeth began to flourish.

As time passed, she stumbled over her loss less and began to look around more.  She wasn’t sure if she was ready for anyone new yet, but it didn’t hurt to realize that life was moving around her and that she needed to get back into it.

Catching the attention of men in the art world, it wasn’t uncommon for some of them to begin asking her questions towards prospective dates. 

Many saw her as a beautiful, smart, and sophisticated woman that they wanted to get to know better.  Considering that she had slowly reached a point of removing her rings, her fingers no longer bore the markings of a married woman.

Testing the waters, Elizabeth usually engaged in the conversations to see what men were like in the city and how people reacted to discovering that she had children.  Sadly, most turned around and ran when they learned that she was a widow with identical twin boys.

Sighing to herself, Elizabeth figured she didn’t have to worry.  The twins were growing well, she was just regaining her confident independence, and she wasn’t going to settle for just anyone, if she went with anyone at all.

*******

**Dates**

As time continued to go on, there were a few men who were apparently willing to give a relationship a chance.

They would start off easy and ask Elizabeth out for coffee or a movie, and they would sometimes ask her for a second time out, but none of them lasted for long.

Often times, the budding relationship would end when Elizabeth took them home to meet the twins.  If they couldn’t get along with the boys, then there was no point in her continuing anything with them.

*******

**Boarding School**

It all started for the twins when one of Elizabeth’s dates spent the first part of the evening talking all about how much he loved children and looked forward to getting to know the twins. 

When Elizabeth left to get her scarf, Mozzie pretended to be quietly observing from afar while the man talked to the children.  It kept an adult in the room, but made the man feel more confident towards showing his true colors.

“If we get together, I’m going to encourage your mother to send you off to boarding school.  I like the idea of children, but only if they’re my own.”  He showed his distain by letting them know his plans.  Little did he know that Mozzie was a lip reader focusing on him.

Elizabeth soon breezed in with her final things and told the boys good night before leaving them in Mozzie’s capable hands.

Going out for the night, she generally enjoyed the dinner, but something felt off about the man.  Her instincts had always served her well so she didn’t encourage him to expect more.

Heading home for the night, he wasn’t thrilled to learn that the twins were still up, and especially not when they asked if their mother had any plans of sending them off to boarding school. 

Looking shocked, Elizabeth asked what had put that into their little heads, and turned on her date when they pointed at him.  “Are you threatening my children with boarding school?”

Surprised that children knew what it was, meant, and had told on him, the guy decided it wasn’t worth pursuing their mother, no matter how attractive she was.

With two little tongues sticking out at him from behind their mother, the man left for the night knowing to get rid of her phone number.  She wouldn’t accept him if he was foolish enough to ask.

After he had left, Elizabeth turned to Mozzie to confirm what the twins had said, her date hadn’t verbally, but his hurried retreat certainly spoke volumes.

“Yes, he threatened to persuade you to send them off to boarding school, that he liked kids, but only the prospect of his own.”

Hugging the boys and reassuring them that no one was ever going to be more important to her, she let them know that boarding school was never going to be on the table.

Relieved, the kids had spent the evening pestering Mozzie for his perspective, and they didn’t like what they heard, so they got rid of the man.

*******

**Violence**

Another date didn’t make it to the home visit.

Elizabeth was observing his surface as a nice guy, but something warned to look deeper.  Ensuring that Mozzie stayed close to her and her date through the evening, she was relieved that the twins were having a sleep over with June and Byron in the loft of the mansion.

Dinner had started out lovely, it was a nice steak house with good food and a relaxing atmosphere, but then they went for a walk in the park.

As the man tried to push for more than Elizabeth was willing to give, he hit her to show his strength over her.

Fortunately, Mozzie had asked for backup to help him watch, so a few large guys were easily able to persuade her date to leave her alone… and Mozzie’s onslaught was believed to have taught the man to never contact her again.

Having never experienced masculine violence, Elizabeth hadn’t been prepared for things to escalate that far.  At worst, she was expecting that he might show a two faced opinion on children, not an abusive side.  Still, she was relieved to have arranged for a chaperone to ensure her safety.

*******

**Traps**

Having met another date in public, the twins were certain they didn’t want the man going out with their mother.  Although not all of her dates had gone poorly, the twins were gaining an understanding of their instincts when it came to her suiters.

Acting like little angels, they behaved perfectly while Elizabeth welcomed the man in and offered a seat on the couch for him to sit in.

Then, when she had gone to get her final things, something that had become a testing period for the men while Mozzie watched, the twins began to unleash their plan.

First they happened to be playing with marbles that got out of hand causing the man to slip when he walked about as he waited.  He had been ignoring them, but cursed as he went down and then focused his anger on the twins.

Playing it off as an accident, they wanted to test how he would react to them.  Being boys, it wasn’t uncommon for marbles and Legos to get about, and any prospective father figure would need a good way to handle the hazards.

Second, they told him that their mother spent a great deal of time with them, that they were her world.  When he seemed unimpressed, they knew he wasn’t interested in their relationship with their mom, only in his prospects.

Finally, when asking what he thought about children, he didn’t have anything nice to say which made the twins agree to get rid of him.

Pulling another stunt with Legos and marbles, they made him fall again which caused him to hurt just enough to cancel the date, but not enough to cause any permanent damage.

Observing his reaction to children’s play as she reentered the room, Elizabeth knew the twins had tried testing him, but also knew they had pointed out his flaws, that he wasn’t a good match for them.

Agreeing to cancel the date, she didn’t encourage him to make another and generally suggested that he look elsewhere for romantic interests.

*******

**Tolerable**

One date didn’t prove so bad, he even stuck around for several months before moving away with a business promotion.

His first move was to show an interest in children with an avid participation in the Big Brother program.  On top of that, he had other volunteer projects that put him with children all of the time and he proved to have a knack for handling them.

Earning his initial star, Elizabeth enjoyed a few friendly dates where he encouraged her to bring the twins to children’s events where they could have fun, they could get to know each other, and he could double it with is volunteer work.

Then he showed a gentleman behavior with Elizabeth, as he would open doors, and insisted on doing various chivalrous things because she deserved to be treated right.

That earned him a second star.

Playing with the boys, he showed a general friendship with them and managed to pass their tests, which caused them to give him a chance.  Theirs was the third and most important star.

Finally, he got his fourth star by being interested in their family and willing to find a place, but not pushing himself in between Elizabeth and the twins.  It showed him to be a family man willing to balance all aspects of what a relationship entailed.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to get past that initial friend and light romance stage, there just wasn’t the spark that Elizabeth had experienced and he was looking for.  So when a big business opportunity arose, he chose to end the romantic side of the relationship and take it.  Keeping in touch, he joined the realm of those who would write the occasional post card and perhaps send a trinket from the International jet setting position he had taken.  Moving around didn’t give him much anchor, so he enjoyed keeping in touch with them as friends who genuinely hoped for the best in each other.

*******

**Lists**

Learning from each boyfriend who came and went, Elizabeth and the twins decided what they wanted and didn’t want in any potential addition to their family.

Elizabeth needed someone who would get along with the twins and be willing to protect them.  For her, she needed a strong helpmeet who could handle the burdens that life brings and be a shoulder for her to lean on.  The other details, like smart, attractive, funny, and so on were just icing on the cake.

She had learned with Ethan what it meant to be truly loved, supported, and engaged in a two-way romantic relationship.  He wasn’t in the picture any more, but he had left rather large shoes to fill.

The twins didn’t remember their father.  They had pictures of him, Elizabeth had begun to put them around as she had been able to handle those memories more with time.  Before that, the pictures had been relegated to a smaller portion of the house, to minimize her pain.

Their examples lay in what they had seen from Dirk and family, Mozzie, and the previous boyfriends and dates who had been presented to them.

Compiling their own lists, they each had characteristics that they were looking for.

Neal wanted a father to look up to, someone that he could respect and feel protected by.  If he could draw or at least appreciate art, that wouldn’t hurt.  He understood the need for someone to make his mother happy, but trusted her to know what that entailed. 

Bryce, he had less detailed of a list.  Mostly, he wanted someone safe to complete the family and make them happy.  If they happened to enjoy video games, then all the better.

Taking all of that into consideration, Elizabeth hoped that maybe she would meet someone who fit the specifications.  Dark haired and blue eyed was off of the table, as she didn’t want to see Ethan in them, but brown eyes and hair were also rather attractive.

Was it too much to ask for a brown man with a sense of humor, chivalrous behavior, good with kids, and capable of taking on an established family?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading, reviewing/commenting, and choosing to favorite :D


	14. Federal

*******

**Crime**

Elizabeth was surprised when the gallery fell victim to a robbery.

Her shift had started out rather routine as she had begun organizing the paperwork on the floor, tweaked a few of the displays to ensure that they looked just right, and then she went to the back room to collect some additional supplies.  As she passed one of the back storage rooms, she noticed that the door was open... it was supposed to be locked and secured because it was where the art was stored when it wasn't out on the floor.

Calling her boss, he then called the police, who then brought in the FBI, and it didn't take long before the place was closed to the public while the investigation began.

Going through her answers for the umpteenth time, Elizabeth was telling an unseen person the answers to his questions.  She was rather frustrated to be going through it all again, so she was sitting with her head in her hands to stave off the growing headache.

After he had finished asking her his questions, she was surprised to see a water bottle passed to her with a couple of pills.  "These always help me when I get a headache."�

When she looked up, she was pleasantly surprised to see that the hands and voice belonged to a brown hair and brown eyed man.  "Thank you.  What did you say your name was?"�

"Burke, Special Agent Peter Burke."  He smiled gently at her.  "I'm sorry to put you through all of this again, but it's best to get the answers direct from the source so that I can gauge how you say it, and not just what you said."  His apology was general and something that he had already said, but he felt the need to say it again.

"It's alright Agent Burke, I understand what you have to do, it's just been a busy morning."  She smiled softly in return.  Having taken the pills and drank a little bit of the water, she knew that she would be feeling better soon.

"I'm sure things will slow down again here soon enough... our work is just getting going."  It wasn't much of a joke, but it was something of a humorous attempt to let her know that he would be handling the trouble shortly while her life would be able to resume a semblance of normalcy.

"A law man's work is never done."  She answered.

"No, there is always another case to follow when one is finished."  His awkward conversation continued.

Realizing that they were kind of flirting, Elizabeth smiled at him a little more.  There was something about him that she liked, she was willing to continue their awkward conversation if it meant more opportunities to talk.

Transitioning the conversation, Peter asked her more about what a typical day around the gallery pertained to.  "Maybe that will help us set a timeline."  He gave his excuse for asking the question.

Happy that he was finding reasons to keep talking, Elizabeth walked him through her daily routine and what she was aware of how the others handled things.

Being called away by his boss, Peter actually looked a little disappointed to have to end his conversation, but he needed to keep his professionalism at the scene of the crime.  Bidding her good day, he moved away and wasn't able to talk to her again before returning to the office with his team.

Feeling infinitely better, Elizabeth knew that it had more to do with the person who gave her the pills, than it did with the pills themselves.

*******

**Dreaming**

Curled up at home that night, Elizabeth wasn't quiet as focused on the twins' chatter as she usually was.  They were five and full of tales of their kindergarten class. 

"Mom, why aren't you listening to us?"  Neal asked.

"It's been a long day, baby."  She yawned through her soft smile.

Not understanding, the twins noticed that she looked different than she usually did.  It wasn't uncommon for her to be tired, but that little smile wasn't something they had seen before. 

"Why are you smiling?"  Bryce followed up.

"The gallery was robbed this morning, so the place was swarming with police all day."  She yawned again.

"Police officers... like daddy was?"  Neal was intrigued.

"Yes, only they're in the New York Police Department instead of the Boston Police Department."  She answered his question.

"Did you like any of them?"  Bryce asked.  Maybe her smile had been because of one of the officers.

Blushing slightly, Elizabeth couldn't help but smile as she ruffled his hair.  "No... but there was an FBI agent who was really nice."�

Interested, the twins wanted to know more about him and what he was like.  If their mom was interested, so were they.

"I don't really know him.  He was awkward in a sweet way, and his name if Peter Burke.  Beyond that, your guess is as good as mine."�

Getting the feeling that Peter wasn't going to be leaving the picture, the twins let the subject drop because there wasn't much else to say.  Redirecting the conversation towards their day, they continued the conversation in a more familiar direction.

*******

**Investigating**

Working at his desk, Peter was busy going through potential suspects and information for the case.  He had some suspects lined up as potential people to have committed the crime, basically any known criminal with the skill set and reputable interest in the stolen items, but there was still something else that had his attention.

Thinking through the case and interviews, he realized it was Elizabeth Mitchell-Rivers that had his thoughts captivated.  The woman was beautiful, smart, and sophisticated.  Not exactly what he pictured for simple man like himself, but he still felt drawn to her in a way he couldn't explain.

Typing her name into the computer, he pulled up her basic history and learned about her past.  She had a felony on her record from her college days... not an uncommon one from large universities considering parties and dares.  There was a previous marriage with a death certificate officially ending the relationship.  Looking into Ethan Rivers file briefly, he saw several commendations and a hero's death.  Moving back over to Elizabeth's file, he saw that she had two little boys, had moved to the city a few years prior after losing her husband, and that she had held a steady reputation with her employer earning her a decent position with the gallery.

There was no reason to think of her as a suspect, but to be safe, Peter decided to have one of the probies from the team tail her. It would give Berrigan the practice, check if Elizabeth was seeing anyone, and all with the excuse of ensuring that she wasn't connected to the crime and playing the first witness as a cover up... a weak excuse, but one he was using all the same.

Putting the idea into motion, he just had to sit back and wait while the case proceeded.

*******

**Poster**

Elizabeth was trained to know when she had a tail.  Ethan had taught her the basics for her protection and she had kept the skill in practice just in case anyone should ever decide to go after her for any reason.  So, it wasn't hard to realize when she had picked up an FBI tail or that the young agent following her was one that she had seen with Peter when he had interviewed her.

Smiling to herself, she wondered if this was his way of showing that he was interested, checking her out to ensure that she was safe before making a move himself.  If that was how he wanted to play, then the next move was in her ball court.

On her way home, she ducked into an art supply store to purchase a large piece of poster board.  Then once she got home, she borrowed some of Neal's supplies to write her message in big letters so that the agent could read and photograph them from the distance that she was keeping.

With her plan ready, Elizabeth just had to wait until the next day to see how it worked.

*******

**Results**

Peter should have known that Diana would figure out his motive... and that Jones would tag along with her. 

Having assisted in going through the surveillance pictures, Jones had pointed at the ones where the gallery assistant was holding up the sign about her taste in Italian.  "Do you think Peter had this in mind when he asked you to tail her?"�

Grinning mischievously, Diana was certainly going to find out.  "Let's give them to him and see how he reacts."�

"I'm so coming along for this."  Jones matched her grin as they collected the pictures along with a few decoys.

Heading over to Peter's desk, they handed him the pictures before both standing by to watch his reactions.

Flipping through them slowly, Peter made some basic comments about the decoy pictures, and then he went completely silent as he saw the first one with the sign.  Then he smiled slightly as he continued to flip through them.

Teasing, the other two enjoyed his reaction.

"I believe that is a sign if there ever was one."  Jones commented.

"She even pointed out what she likes to eat to narrow down his restaurant choices."  Diana pointed out.  "So, what do you have in mind Peter?  Perhaps asking her to your favorite Italian restaurant... what is that place you spoke so highly of recently?"�

"Maybe he wants to try a different place, I don't think that date went over so well."  Jones tried to defend him.

"The date might not have ended well, but he didn't have anything bad to say about the food.  Maybe he'll want to try again."  Diana had a tone to her voice that said she was enjoying the fun.

"If he does, she is obviously interested.  Did you see the way she perked up once she actually looked at him?  She had been holding her head through my interview with her, barely made a polite acknowledgement of my existence."  Jones pretended to be miffed.

"At least she talked to you, she didn't even seem to notice my existence, but she was watching Peter after he left their conversation."  Diana pretended to complain to Jones, when she was really teasing Peter.

"She must have noticed you, otherwise she wouldn't have known that you were connected to the team, or that her message would get back to Peter."  Jones observed.

"Huh, you have a point there.  Unless she was hoping for someone else on the team.  But who would she be looking for a date with..."  She pretended to try and find another alternative.

"Alright you two"  Peter had had enough.  "Get back to work why don't you?"  He questioned them.  He was the more senior agent of the three, but he wasn't the boss.  Not yet anyway, there were theories that he would be made the boss when a position opened up, but that was just potential options down the road.

"You aren't exactly working either, Peter.  I believe you were having us check out a potential date for you.  Have you looked into her background yet?"  Jones teased.  He knew that many agents checked out potential romantic interests before getting too invested, just to be on the safe side.  More than a few had been burned by dates taking advantage of their known status as agents.

"What if I have?  It wouldn't be any of your business anyway."  Peter tried to defend himself and send them on their way.

Undeterred, Diana had a new angle to tease him on.  "That serious are we.  I thought background checks at least waited until there had been a few dates, or at least a date planned."�

"He just wants to get the pesky little details out of the way first.  You know, make sure she is safe, and available before asking her out."  Jones continued to tease.

"You've more than made your point.  Now if you are done making fun of me, hadn't you two better get back to work, or do you want to talk about the dates you've checked out to ensure you weren't walking into a bad situation?"  He threatened to turn the conversation back on them.

Taking the hint, the other two returned to their desks and went back to work.

Relieved, Peter didn't mind their teasing in general, they were probably two of his closer friends on the team, but even that could still get tiring at times.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, commenting/reviewing, and leaving kudos :D
> 
> I apologize if there are any punctuation errors. The site appears to feel the need to add symbols and extra spaces in seemingly random places. I've run through and attempted to edit them all back to their original copy, but can't guarantee I didn't make a mistake.


	15. Dating

*******

**Asking**

Elizabeth was excited to see Special Agent Peter Burke show back up at the gallery.  She couldn't help but think of him as Peter, and considering that their investigation was over, he didn't have an official reason for being there.

"Hello Agent Burke, do you need to speak to my boss about the investigation?"  She gave him the chance to see if there was something she was unaware of, or the escape if he wanted to chicken out should he be there to talk to her.

"No, the case is closed."  He glanced around the room to ensure that no one was too close to hear their conversation.  The action also gave him a moment to get his nerve up.  "I just stopped by to talk to you actually.  You see, my team mate gave me the pictures from their surveillance... and I was wondering."

"Yes..."  Elizabeth answered the question he was getting at, but she didn't want to seem too eager.  "You were wondering?"

Looking awkward, but definitely interested, Peter was rather cute in his approach.  "I was wondering if you would like to grab some dinner.  There is a great little Italian restaurant not too far from the area here."

Smiling once he finally got the question out, Elizabeth repeated her answer.  "Yes, I'd love to."

With his shoulders relaxing, Peter shared the rest of the plans he had in mind.  "If it was alright with you, your boys could come along too and maybe we could catch a movie?"

Pleased, Elizabeth liked how he was willing to include the boys from the start.  None of her previous boyfriends had been willing to take that step.  "I'm sure they would love to.  How do you know I have two boys, that wasn't in the interviews?"  She could guess, but wanted to hear his answer.

"We did background checks on all of the employees, just to be safe."  He defended himself with a slight blush to his cheeks.

Amused, Elizabeth chose to tease him slightly.  "So, it was just routine.  And I'm sure you looked into everyone's children?"

Blushing more, Peter couldn't help but answer awkwardly.  "No... we didn't look closely into anyone's young children.  Simply noted the existence of them."

He was still hiding the fact that he had looked into her himself to get to know her, the rest of them had been done by probies and other junior agents.

"I'm sure you took that task upon yourself, Agent Burke.  Although you did send a probie to do the surveillance work, you might have appeared like a stalker if you had taken that task."  She teased.  Then she couldn't help but laugh softly as she saw the blush spread further as it deepened.

"Let's just say that it's better to be safe than sorry in my line of work.  Several agents have... had bad experiences if they weren't careful."  He was feeling rather embarrassed that she knew he had looked her up.  Sure, he had planned to tell her eventually, but this was just awkward.

Trying to ease his embarrassment, Elizabeth didn't want to make him too uncomfortable.  "My late husband was in law enforcement.  If we hadn't gone to school together, he would have done the same, so I understand where you're coming from.  I just wanted you to say it."

Feeling relieved that she wasn't holding it against him, Peter was glad that she understood.  "I planned to tell you, just hadn't come up with how yet."

"Then we have that out of the way and you won't have to worry about it anymore."  Elizabeth smiled at him and was glad to see his embarrassment easing up.  "If you're still willing to go to dinner, how do you want to meet?"  She gave him another out, but hoped he wouldn't take it.

Ignoring her offer, Peter latched onto the planning topic.  "I could pick you up, or we could meet if you feel safer that way?"

"You're an FBI agent, and although not every law man is safe for carrying a badge... I actually had an old friend on the police force look you up."  Elizabeth admitted with a blush of her own that had Peter laughing. 

"So, that's how this works, huh?  I guess turn-about is fair play.  How did I rate?"  He teased her.

"Passing... which is high praise, considering he was Ethan's partner on the force.  He said you have a high closure rate, a good reputation, and are being looked at for promotion."  She shrugged, she wanted to make sure she was getting involved with a good man.  After some of the dates she had run into, she wasn't taking any risks.

"Well, I'm glad I passed.  What time would you like me to pick you all up?"  Peter returned to their date topic.  It was much more pleasant, even though learning that she had looked him up was amusing.

"Say, seven o'clock?  That way there is time for the boys to get to bed before it's too late."  She kept her children's schedule in mind.  Although the twins were older and liked to think that they could stay up on the weekends, she knew they still had their lessons on Saturdays and would need a good night of sleep.

"That works for me.  What phone number do you want me to use?"  He needed to know how to get in touch.

Startled, Elizabeth hadn't thought about that yet.  Digging through her purse, she pulled out her business card and wrote her personal phone number on the back.  Then she passed it to Peter who read it over and put it in his pocket where he wouldn't lose it.

Making the final arrangements for their plans, Elizabeth suggested what movie they should go see, as it was one the boys were interested in and tolerable for adults, while Peter said he didn't mind it even though it was more their age group.

With plans to meet up again later, Elizabeth went back to work and Peter grabbed a quick sandwich on his way back to the office.  They still had the afternoon to get through, but there was something to look forward to that helped them.

*******

**Conversation**

Arriving at the apartment, Elizabeth went to the back room to get her things while Peter spent a few moments talking to the boys.

Noticing how awkward he was with them, the twins asked him if he knew any children.

"No, I haven't been around children much since I was a child, and I don't remember any identical twins."  He said unsure of which one he was speaking with.  Considering that they hadn't stopped moving, he was sure they were testing him.

"Do you like the idea of kids?"  The child asked.

"In theory, yes.  There are a lot of perks to what a child can bring to the table, but I don't have any experience to say for sure."  He observed them closely as he tried to find differences.

"Are you willing to try, or are you the type to send children off to boarding schools?"  The other child asked him.

"I'm willing to try if you'll give me a chance, and as for boarding schools, I'm not a fan.  From what I hear, they are a place where parents often send their children for a better education, but then they don't get to see them very often.  My parents sent me to the school just down the road and I was home every night, so that is more what I imagine a good education to be.  Sure, there is eventually college, but that is when a kid becomes an adult and is supposed to be stepping away from their parents."  He was honest with them, and even shared of his own history.

That was a new experience for the twins.  Seeing why their mother was acting different in relation to this man, they decided to test him more thoroughly than they usually did potential suitors. 

"What if our mom and you were to get married, would you send us away then?" 

Surprised, Peter hadn't expected the kids to be so forthright.  "No.  I'm not saying that your mother and I are going to get married or not, we only met recently, but if such a circumstance were to come about down the road, then the furthest you would be going before you were eighteen would be to visit your family back up in Boston, boarding school still wouldn't be on the table, and neither would military school if that gets into your heads."

Cocking their head to the side in puzzlement, the kid looked to their twin who also shrugged, before turning back to Peter.  "What is military school?"

"It's like boarding school, only you are also in training for the military."  Peter had decided to treat them like mini adults for some things, it was easier.

"Why would a kid go there?  I though the military was for adults."

"Military school is a place where some people send their kids for a better education with stricter rules, others to give their kids an advanced start in the military, while others send their troubled children there in the hopes that the rules would give them a better environment to keep out of trouble."

"What's this about military school?"  Elizabeth asked as she announced her presence.  She had already heard the basic conversation in the small apartment because Peter wasn't trying to keep his words secret, but she was still curious what he would say.

"The twins asked me some questions, and we ended up talking about boarding schools which led to military schools.  I'm not a fan of either, but they wanted to know my stance on them."  Peter summarized their conversation.

Appreciating his honesty with both her and the twins, Elizabeth was already mentally giving him stars based on his behavior.

Shall we go, or we'll be late for the movie?"  Peter gestured for the boys to grab their jacket. 

Excited, the boys remembered that they were being included on this date, so they grabbed their jackets and walked out with the adults.

Passing her keys to Peter, Elizabeth let him drive her car as it already had the child seats set up.  "It'll be easier than transferring everything."

Accepting the keys, Peter helped to get one twin loaded into their car seat.  Asking the kid as he went, he tried to discover which twin was which.

I'm Neal."  The kid said with a grin thinking Peter had no idea who had said what.

Surprising him, Peter had figured out how to tell them apart, he just needed to be reminded which was which.  "I hope you know that I really am not a fan of boarding or military schools, and that no matter what the future holds, I would never be for sending either of you away."  He ruffled the kid's hair lightly glad that he had passed the first test.  Being able to tell them apart meant that he was paying attention and learning to understand them.

*******

**Dinner**

After the movie, Peter took the little group to his new favorite restaurant.  It wasn't so interesting because of his first date there, but because of his second.

Thoroughly enjoying the excited chatter of the boys, he was glad he had made their night by taking them to a movie they wanted to see.  It wasn't so entertaining to see the movie itself, but the boys' perspective made if far more interesting to him.

"And did you see when the bad guy thought he got away with his crime?"  Bryce laughed.  "He thought he was being so sneaky when the officer had watched him the entire time."

The animal cop show wasn't exactly realistic, but it had the general idea of the job which made it more tolerable to Peter.  Then again, he found himself picturing various officers as the animals that played similar characters and he could see the amusement too.

"What is so funny?"  Elizabeth asked him.

They had gotten to a point of saying each other's first names to their faces, instead of just thinking them which Peter liked a lot better.  "Although the working of the police department isn't quite accurate, some of the personalities were spot on.  Suddenly, I was thinking of some people I know as the animals that depicted them and I don't think many of them would find it too flattering considering what happened with the characters.  Still, I couldn't help it as they really do fit how they behave."

Laughing, the twins decided to try and guess which animals Peter knew people like.

Not giving names, Peter acknowledge which ones they had correct.

Dissolving into conversation, the group enjoyed their meals.  Peter showed Bryce his favorite way to eat spaghetti, Neal tried to tell them all of the cheeses in his macaroni, and Elizabeth just enjoyed a pleasant Italian meal.  She had her boys, and a nice man with brown features, smart, strong, caring, and well on his way to filling all of her wishes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading, reviewing/commenting, leaving kudos, and choosing to favorite :D
> 
> A quick note for you all. My parents are remodeling the main bathroom so we are bouncing between home and a hotel. Posting should remain as usual, but my response time to reviews and such may be affected some nights.
> 
> Alright, the weird symbols are back again... if anyone knows what it is or how to get rid of it, please add a comment. I don't want to have to pick through and remove these each week and it's only happening on this site. Below is a sample of what I'm dealing with before I fix it...  
> â€œNo, the case is closed.â€�Â  He glanced around the room to ensure that no one was too close to hear their conversation.Â  The action also gave him a moment to get his nerve up.Â  â€œI just stopped by to talk to you actually.Â  You see, my team mate gave me the pictures from their surveillanceâ€¦ and I was wondering.â€�


	16. Testing

**Observation**

Peter continued to take them out to dinner, go to the movies, and occasionally joined them for their Sundays in the park. He was becoming a fourth to their group, like only one boyfriend had ever made it to before, so the twins kept an eye on him.

The man was a mystery to them. On one side, he had learned to tell them apart on the first evening before they had even left the apartment, and that was a record. But on the other side, he still struggled with what to say to them. Sometimes his method of treating them like mini adults worked, but the rest of the time he was kind of dorky in his attempts to be on their level which failed to appeal to them.

If Elizabeth left the twins with Peter for personal reasons, or because she was going to say hi to someone she saw in the park, the twins would keep wary eyes on Peter. How would he react with their mother not looking? To their surprise, he acted the same as he did when she was, only perhaps a little more awkward for not having her there to buffer when he didn't know what to do.

They waited for the night when their mom would say that the date had been canceled with Peter, that he wasn't coming around anymore, and although there were cancelations because of his work, he always reschedules as soon as possible.

To the twins, he was too good to be true, but he also seemed determined to prove to them that he wasn't a quitter, that unless something changed, he was in the relationship for the long haul.

*******

**Father**

Neal wanted someone who would be a good father figure for him. He had grown up on stories of what his dad had been like, but he didn't have a living role model like him actively in his daily life. Seeing Peter as a potential candidate, he chose to test him to see how he handled fatherly things.

One of those tests included his tried and true marbles and Legos. If Peter stepped on them and fell down or hurt his foot slightly, would he curse and threaten Neal like others had before?

Trying it, Neal was pleasantly surprised to find that Peter didn't fall on the marbles, that being an agent, he managed to drop into a crouch and regained his footing instead of falling. As for the Legos, Peter was aware that little boys liked to play with them, so he watched where he stepped, but when he missed one and landed squarely on his heel one evening where he had his shoes off, he simply dealt with the pain and asked Neal if he could keep them better corralled in the future. No anger, no threats, no curses, Peter passed all of those tests.

Moving on to another test, Neal observed how Peter made his mom act. He had seen her nervous of one boyfriend, angry at others, and not overly interested in the rest which is why the decent ones didn't stick around either.

However, with Peter, Elizabeth was often smiling softly, she was more relaxed, and although she was also watching Peter with her own tests, she seemed to be satisfied with how he handled them. In general, he made her happy which was a plus.

Then, when the holidays came and she needed to work extra hard with the gallery to host events and ramp up sales, Peter encouraged her where he could, offered to work their dates around her schedules, and even volunteered to help her sample some of the fancier food, even though he didn't seem to enjoy it. Seeing him encourage and help his mother, Neal knew he had passed that test too.

Since Elizabeth had already told him about Peter's record as an FBI agent, Neal knew he was a good law man and that he was something like what his father was reputed to be. Combining those tests, and Peter had passed all but one.

He still needed to fully connect with the twins. Until he did that, Elizabeth wouldn't let herself fall for him and the twins wouldn't be comfortable. So for all that he had accomplished, Peter still had the hardest test yet to pass.

***********

**Incomplete**

Bryce's list was shorter and simpler than Neal's, but harder for Peter to pass.

Considering that Peter hadn't proven his effectiveness for taking care of the family, he had yet to complete that task, which also meant that Bryce didn't know if he could trust the man with his family. Bryce was a child, but he wanted to know that his family was in safe hands. And after some of Elizabeth's brief boyfriends, he knew what he didn't want.

Peter was making the family generally happy, but he hadn't connected beyond the friend zone, so he was making progress, but hadn't completed that task.

Finally, Peter hadn't played him video games yet, so he didn't even know if he would be able to complete that additional hope he had for their father figure.

So while Peter was making headway with Neal and Elizabeth, he was hardly started with Bryce.

***********

**Baseball**

The first Saturday Peter had a chance to take the boys to a baseball game, he got Elizabeth's permission to take them out for a day as a chance to bond with them. Considering how baseball was to him and that it was a special thing between him and his father, he hoped for similar results with the twins.

He didn't know what their lists contained, but he knew that his whole relationship with the family depended on him passing muster with the kids.

Starting the day off, he picked up the twins at their apartment and transferred their needed things over to his car for the day. It meant they would be safe, and that he could take them to the game and where ever else their mother had approved before taking them home that evening for a dinner date as a group.

Having kept his plans a surprise from the twins, Peter was pestered with the usual questions as to where they were going and what they would be doing for the day.

"This is what my dad and I always did as something special." Peter wouldn't tell them too much until they pulled up in front of the stadium.

With big eyes, the twins looked at the enormous building and asked if it was a museum.

"No, this is called a stadium, where they play baseball." Peter hoped that they would be excited, so he was somewhat disappointed when they didn't look enthused at all.

"Baseball?" Neal questioned in distaste. He wasn't into sports and preferred the idea of drawing over throwing a ball around.

Bryce wasn't impressed either, but he was more willing if it meant he got to run around. "Baseball? Do we have to sit in the stands, or do we get to play?"

"This is a game where we watch, but we do get to catch the ball if any are hit our way. There are also snacks like hot dogs, peanuts, and they sometimes shoot shirts out of a launcher." Peter tried to make it seem more interesting. When that didn't work, he asked them to at least give it a chance.

"Alright." The twins gave in together. They weren't excited, but they didn't want to get into trouble with their mom when they got home either.

Leading the boys through the lines, Peter bought the tickets, a New York Yankees hat each, and promised them hot dogs up in the stands when they got hungry later.

Finding their seats, Peter set the twins so that they were together, but right beside him. He hoped they could help entertain each other, but wanted them where he could keep an eye on them for their safety.

As the game began, the twins watched with general curiosity from never having seen a game before. Slowly, the teams made their entry, the announcer gave all kinds of information, and then the game began.

It didn't take them too long to get bored though. They were being forced to sit in uncomfortable seats, they couldn't run around, and the simple action of players passing a ball around wasn't interesting enough to keep their attention.

The more bored they got, the more unruly they got until they were squabbling in their seats.

"Hey!" Peter interrupted them in a tone they had never heard before. He was using his FBI voice to get their attention and it worked. "Break it up you two. The game is nearing the halfway point where we'll get a break and you can pick what you want to eat."

Whining, the twins weren't happy to learn that the game was only halfway over. "You mean we still have the entire second half to sit through?"

"Yes, and if you behave until half time, then I'll give you the things that your mother sent for you for the second half. Remember though, you promised to at least give baseball a chance." Peter was firm. He wasn't going to tolerate their behavior.

Settling down in the hopes of something more entertaining, the twins sat quietly swinging their legs while they watched the game continue in general boredom.

Reaching half time, Peter purchased hot dogs and a bag of cotton candy for the boys while also getting some peanuts for himself. "These are traditional baseball foods. It isn't a game without them." He grinned as he tried to get the twins enthusiasm.

Not understanding at all, the twins could tell that Peter was trying too hard and they weren't receptive to his efforts. Instead, they had decided to get through the day in the hopes they wouldn't have to do this again.

Understanding their behavior, Peter felt bad that he was failing to share his passion and that he was doing an even worse job of connecting with them. Losing most of his excitement, he gave the twins the game player and drawing supplies Elizabeth had sent for them before settling back to wait through the rest of the game.

When it was over, Peter took the twins to get ice cream cones and for a walk in the park. He had toned down his enthusiasm which made the twins think he wasn't having any fun with them, and they in return began to feel awkward with him causing the day to continue on its spiral downhill.

*******

**Reflections**

Walking through the park, Peter had partially expected that the twins would find sports interesting once they had been to a game. He had made the mistake of seeing them as miniature versions of himself.

Just because he had always shown an interest in outdoor activities in addition to his love of numbers, didn't mean that all other children also had the same reaction. Apparently, these children were more lovers of the indoors, with the exception of their rambunctious play when they were working through energy at the park.

Sighing to himself, he watched how they were walking along sedately licking their ice cream and he knew it was his fault. He had failed to connect with them, and by trying too hard, he had probably done a better job of alienating them.

Waiting patiently until they had finished their ice creams, he simply followed them along and reflected on his mistakes of the day. He really liked them, and he wanted to get closer to them, but he really didn't know how.

Adults could make him feel awkward, and kids simply magnified that affect. Crying woman weren't his strong suite either, so it was fortunate the Elizabeth hadn't cried on him yet, or else he might have been in real trouble.

Seeing that the twins had finished their treats, he walked them back and loaded them into the car. Once they were safely buckled in, he went to the driver seat and started navigating his way through traffic.

Arriving back at their apartment, he went up with them and they found Elizabeth ready with dinner.

Settling in around the table, they began their usual routine for eating together, but the conversation was stinted as the twins were unhappy and Peter was still reflecting on everything that had gone wrong through the day.

When the meal was done, Elizabeth let the twins go play while she went down to the cars with Peter. As they transferred the car seats back, she asked what had gone wrong with the day.

"I tried too hard, and they don't like baseball." He sighed. "My dad made sharing the passion look so easy, I mean, all he had to do was take me to a game and buy me a hot dog."

Laughing, Elizabeth could see how that wouldn't work with her boys. "The twins don't accept things as easily as other kids often do. You have to show things to them, break them down to understandable reasons before they find interest. If you showed Neal a painting, he wouldn't be interested. But show him the balance of light and dark, the textures, and then let him get messy while teaching how to put his own thoughts on canvas and he's hooked. Bryce responds more to a challenge, but he is also interested in learning how things work. His computer classes have him typing and now learning some basic programming. At this rate, he'll be building his own computers by the time he is in high school while I'll be selling Neal's art work from a gallery. You just have to find a way to make it suit their interests before they'll understand your passion."

Relieved that there was hope, Peter still didn't know how to accomplish the task she had laid out before him. His determination made him accept it, but he would have to work before he could pass this test.

*******

Thank you everyone for reading, reviewing/commenting leaving kudos, following, and choosing to favorite :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading, reviewing/commenting leaving kudos, following, and choosing to favorite :D


	17. Adjustment

*******

**Comfortable**

A few weeks later, Elizabeth decided Peter should try again, but in the comforts of the apartment.  She had an event to work and the twins had another day out of their lessons, so it was a good time.

Leaving them alone in the apartment, she went off to work and the boys looked awkwardly at Peter.  The bad experience of the baseball game still hung in the air, and none of them knew how to work past it.

In an effort to break the ice, Peter asked them what they wanted to do.

"Can we play video games?"  Bryce hesitantly asked. 

"Sure, I don't know how, so you'll have to teach me though."  Peter was willing to try anything.

Setting up the console and pulling out his favorite game, Bryce began showing Peter how to play while Neal sat nearby giving pointers.  He wasn't as fond, but he was Bryce's main opponent.

Holding the control, and genuinely trying, Peter didn't do too badly, but he was beaten the first few times by a five year old.  Not letting that stop him, he played for several rounds until he was getting the hang of the game and able to hold his own against Bryce. 

Getting into the game, the twins showed him what levels they had beaten, and as he got better, they asked for his assistance in the more challenging courses.

Helping them to beat some of their toughest obstacles, Peter had won some ground with Bryce in his willingness to play video games, but he still needed to regain Neal's approval.

Turning the entertainment over to Neal, he asked him what he wanted to do as they had followed Bryce's lead for a while, it was his turn to choose.

Excited, Neal drug Peter over to the table to try a new skill he was learning.  Folding origami.

Laying out several sheets of colorful paper and setting open a book of instructions, Neal began leading the trio through the process of making what was supposed to be a simple creature.

Struggling to follow, Peter proved almost helpless at art.  He could get the basic concept of the folds, but for some reason, they just never lined up quite right.

Laughing at yet another failed attempt, the twins were amused by how crooked his looked compared to their smoother examples.

"I guess it's like baseball.  This is an example of a moment, place, and feeling in time."  Peter said as he held up the bird for their amusement.

"What do you mean?"  Neal questioned.  What did baseball have to do with origami?

"You didn't understand why I love baseball so much, why so many others do, but I think this puts it into perspective.  Does this bird make you laugh?"  He tried to share his passion with them one last time.

"Yes, but that is because he is crooked."  Neal giggled.

"Well, back in the day when baseball gained its popularity, people had a lot of tough things to deal with.  There was war and economical hardships, so they didn't have much to make them smile or laugh.  But once a week, a group of players would get out onto the field and throw everything they had into playing baseball.  Some weeks there would be amazing skills."  Pausing, Peter flipped through the book until he found a really hard example.  "Where people would do things that had never done before, or other weeks they wouldn't do so well, like my little bird here."  He held his up again.  "But it didn't matter, because for a few hours, the people could throw their focus into the game.  The war, their money issues, none of it existed on that field.  Then when they went home to their troubles, they always had the next week to look forward to."

Setting the book back down on the table, Peter finished talking.  "For generations, people have been teaching each other to appreciate the time to relax without a worry or a care beyond the game, and to enjoy the skills that go into it, like playing a video game or creating a good piece of art."  Looking up at them, he wondered if they understood that better.  "Does that make more sense to you, why I wanted to share a baseball game with you a few weeks ago?"

Feeling a better understanding of the man, the twins decided that perhaps the game wasn't so bad.  Besides, if they could take their toys along with them, then they could still be entertained.

"Maybe we'll try a game with you again..."

"I appreciate that, but you don't have to go if you don't want to.  The point was for you to understand that although we don't have the same interests, there are reasons behind those passions."  Peter wasn't going to force them to a game again, he had learned that lesson the hard way.

"But if we wanted to, would you let us go with you?"  They asked.

"Yes, I would love to take you to a game and share my fondest memories with you."  Peter promised.

Relieved, the twins weren't sure if they wanted to experience a game, but they liked knowing they had the option if they decided they wanted to.

*******

**Break In**

Sunday, Elizabeth was home with the twins enjoying a relaxing nap time.  They were each curled up in their own beds resting peacefully when they heard a noise.

It wasn't a big noise, but the fact that it was in their house, and not made by any of the family, had them all waking up with nervous tensions.  Who was in the apartment?

Reaching for her phone, Elizabeth immediately called Peter who told her to call the police while he was on his way.  Following his instructions, Elizabeth called the emergency line and requested assistance as she was home with her two little boys and an intruder.

Peeking out through the crack in her door, she could see a man dressed in black rummaging through the main rooms looking for valuables.  Sensing that he was being watched, he turned and left through the front door.

Moving through the apartment, Elizabeth looked for the twins, but was panicking when she couldn't find them.  They weren't under their beds, hiding in the closet, or any of their usual hiding spots.

When Peter arrived just behind the police, she was distraught in a panic as she had no idea where to find them.  "He didn't have them with him when he left, but what if he did something before I woke up?"  She started to cry.

Reacting to her tears, Peter almost panicked, but he forced himself to hold it together.  This wasn't just any woman in tears, this was Elizabeth.  It also wasn't for just any reason, but because she had experienced an intruder which left her with missing children.

Putting his arms around her and providing support, he held her for a moment while encouraging her to pull herself together for a few minutes.  Then once she was calmer, he directed her to talk to the police while he would take another look through for the twins.

Having played such games with the twins before, he had an idea what they might be doing. 

Walking through the rooms strategically, Peter checked each of the most likely places that they would have been to ensure that they hadn't woken up before Elizabeth had.  Perhaps they were somewhere else in the apartment other than their room?  But as his search continued to prove fruitless, he went to their room for another search.  Striking out in all of the obvious places, he resorted to practically crawling beneath the beds before he found them.

To his surprise, the twins had cleverly used their sheets tied to the bed slats to form something of a rough hammock.  It kept them off the ground, hidden behind the blankets, and out of immediate sight, but it also muffled what was happening around them when combined with their fear.

Slowly reaching up to untie one corner, he drew the blanket back to reveal a terrified twin.  "It's okay Neal, the police are with your mom and I'm here too.  The intruder is gone, you're safe."

Then he was surprised by how quickly the child was out of his hiding space and throwing himself into Peter's arms.  Hugging him close, Peter moved to retrieve the other twin before taking them both safely out to their mother.

Pulling them into her arms, Elizabeth hugged them both and cried into their hair.

Seeing the need for comfort all around, Peter pulled all three into his arms and encompassed them into a safe group hug while the police continued to dust for prints and check for evidence.

Feeling much safer with Peter's presence, the others soon calmed down enough to finish the business with the police.  Helping, Peter used his experience to make it run smoother and gave his card in case the officers had any further questions that needed answering.

Trying to get their minds off of their fear, Peter moved on to helping them put things back into order, recommended some upgrades to their security, and promised to camp out on the couch for the night so that they could sleep.

Completing the process of cleaning up, Elizabeth suggested that Peter get some things from home while she ordered in a pizza.  Although she didn't feel as safe without his presence, it would give him the chance to get his things before staying with them for the night.

Agreeing to the plan, Peter suggested that the twins pick a movie to watch so that they would have something to take their minds off of the day too.

Dividing and conquering, they each had their task to do, so they went their separate ways to complete them.

*******

**Camping**

Returning with a suit for the morning, a tee and sweats to sleep in, his basic toiletries, and his work gear; Peter set his things off to the side so that he could settle in after they spent the evening relaxing.

Digging into the pizza, Peter made sure to eat strongly and tried to set up a competition with the boys so that they would at least eat a little bit.  Elizabeth followed his suit and helped set the example for the twins.

Then, the group settled in to watch the movie on the couch.  Normally, Elizabeth had been accustomed to sitting beside Peter while the twins sat on the floor, but for this night, they started a new routine.  Elizabeth curled up into Peter's side seeking the comfort of his presence, while one twin sat snuggled into her, and the other was nestled into Peter's other side.

Looking more like a family unit than ever, they hardly paid attention to the movie as it was a numbing background to their wondering minds.

After it was over, they went through the process of getting ready for bed, but with the addition of Peter being included in their bedtime stories.  He was a tough and calm presence which helped them to relax.

Finally, as Elizabeth locked up, she left the front light on as it was in use for a change because Peter was still setting up his bed on the couch.  It wouldn't be the most comfortable sleep for him, but he was willing to do it for their safety, and they were glad of it for their peace of mind.

********

**Breakfast**

The morning brought other changes with Peter's presence.  Not only had the family slept peacefully despite their fears, but they had an addition to their morning routine.

Peter was the first one awake, so he had started the coffee before getting a quick shower and dressing.  Although he left off his over shirt and jacket, he had on the slacks and undershirt so that he was decent.

When Elizabeth smelled the coffee, she was pleased to remember that they had a protector in the house, at least for the night, and that the chair wouldn't be empty for the morning.  Sure, it was filled sometimes if Mozzie was around, but it would be different to have Peter fill it for the first time as he was the boyfriend and prospective family addition. 

Getting up and joining Peter in the kitchen, she sipped a cup of coffee while enjoying his conversation.  They were simply relaxing when they heard the first stirrings of the twins waking up.  At the sight of a tussled head peeking through the door, Peter got up and retrieved the boy.  Settling him down on his lap, he let the kid lean into him while he continued to sip his coffee and talk to Elizabeth.

By the time both twins were awake, it was time for Elizabeth to get them ready for school, so Peter cleaned up their breakfast while she got the twins dressed for the day.

Walking down stairs with them, Peter helped to load the twins into the car, told them goodbye, and headed off to work himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, reviewing/commenting, leaving kudos, following, and choosing to favorite:D


	18. Guard

**Guard**

*******

**Gift**

Calling Elizabeth at work, Peter hinted at the idea of getting a guard dog.

"Dogs are adorable, but I don't know about getting a dog."  Elizabeth considered it, but really wasn't sure.

"Are they allowed at your apartment?"  He asked.

"Yes, our neighbor down the hall has one, and the boys love him..."  She wasn't hard to push in the direction.

"Is there a specific reason why you haven't ever gotten a dog?"  Peter continued to test the waters.

"No.  They aren't cheap, but I could afford one if they didn't have a lot of medical bills, the apartment isn't big so one wouldn't have room to play."  Then she mentioned the big reason.  "And really, I just don't know how to train them or what they need."

"What if I were to help?  I mean, I've grown up with dogs, so I know what they need and how to train them."  It would give him extra reason to hang around, he could play with the dog and the twins, and he hoped the Elizabeth would feel more at ease if they had one around to deter intruders.

"I guess the twins could pick one out at the shelter... if you really don't mind helping out?"  She gave in.

"Would you mind, if I surprised them instead?  I would love to help out, and I think it would be great fun to show the twins how to take care of a dog."  Peter's excitement was leaking into his voice, so Elizabeth couldn't help but let him have his way.

Amused by his excitement, which she was finding contagious, she started to look forward to what he had in mind.  "It sounds like you really want to do this... and I can't say no when you sound this excited.  The twins are usually only this excited around Christmas."

Sounding like he was shrugging, Peter didn't mind.  "Adults don't have to wait until Christmas, and this is going to be better because it's unexpected!"

Laughing, Elizabeth made plans with him for the weekend before dissolving into general conversation.  When the call ended, she had a big smile on her face and couldn't wait for the weekend.

*******

**Satchmo**

Showing up that Saturday morning, Peter met Elizabeth at the door with a huge smile.  She reflected his excitement of the surprise and they worked together to get the boxes in place.  The big ones with the supplies and kennel were all piled behind the couch so that they couldn't be seen right off of the bat, and the box with the sleeping puppy was set on the table where Elizabeth kept eyeing it.

While the twins continued to sleep, the adults prepared breakfast and Peter continued to grin while he watched Elizabeth eyeing the box.  She would put her hand on the sides to feel the warmth and tried to peak in the top crack to see what the breed was.

"Come on!  Are you going to make me wait until the twins wake up?"  She practically whined in excited anticipation.

Loving every minute of it, Peter refused to share with her as he wanted to see all of their excited faces.  "Yep, remember, this is my Christmas morning of playing Santa, so I get to watch all of your faces when that box is opened."  He whistled slightly in anticipation.  It wasn't particularly in tune, but it reflected his excitement.

Finding herself falling for him, Elizabeth felt more of a romantic attachment to Peter in that moment than she had felt with anyone other than Ethan.  It was the first time that she wanted kiss him in more than a chaste kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you, really Peter.  I love how excited you are and appreciate you taking all of this trouble for us."  She wanted him to know that she really appreciated him.

"You're welcome.  Gifts like this have always been special in my family, so I want to make it as memorable for you all as it has always been for me."  He didn't see it as any trouble, more like a pleasure that she was allowing him to indulge in.

Unable to help it, Elizabeth moved and kissed him for the first time. 

Pleasantly surprised, Peter had automatically reacted to kiss her back.

Having felt that spark, even in the brief kiss, they paused in their breakfast preparations as they simply stood there staring at each other for a moment.  Their romance was still growing, but they each had an admiration and young love reflected in their eyes. 

Distracted by the sound of the bacon sizzling, they had to put their focus back on cooking, but they knew their relationship had just taken another step closer and were looking forward to exploring that more in the future.

Maintaining their focus on breakfast, they managed to finish the meal before the first little head poked out of the door in response to the smell of food.

"Mom, Peter?  Is it almost time for breakfast?"  Neal questioned sleepily.

Trying to contain his growing excitement, Peter encouraged Neal to come in for breakfast while Elizabeth went to wake Bryce up.

Returning with the second twin, the four settled in around the table to eat and the adults tried to keep things normal.  Still, it was inevitable that the twins would notice the unusual box in the middle of the table, and the fact that Peter was putting food aside to the edge of his plate.

"What is in the box?"  Bryce asked the obvious question.

Neal was also focused on Peter, so he questioned his actions.  "And why are you putting food on the edge of your plate?"

"Finish up your breakfast and we'll check it out shortly."  He said as he eyed the box.  It had shifted slightly, so he was sure that the puppy would wake up before too long, which would blow the surprise.

Eating quickly enough, the twins were excited by the prospect of a surprise.  Then they moved to help clear the table, minus Peter's plate, so that they could check out their present as soon as possible.

With the table clear and everyone settled in around it, Peter noticed that the box was shifting more often which meant that the puppy was waking up.  He had been working with the little guy for a few days, so he knew generally when he would be ready to wake up and play.  "Alright, Elizabeth, if you will do the honors?"

Considering that she knew what the gift was, Elizabeth knew to be careful in opening the top and looking down into the biggest pair of adorable brown eyes she had ever seen.  Reaching in, she gently pulled the yellow puppy out of the box while he made little sounds and yawned sleepily.

"Aww, he's adorable!"  She exclaimed while the excited little twins found themselves speechless.  "What kind of dog is he?"

Reaching over to ruffle his ears, Peter was rewarded with a lick acrossed his fingers as the puppy managed to twist around to get him.  "He is a yellow lab with a good family history.  Although he is still going to miss his mother, he should be getting used to being away from her... he has been whining all night the last few nights."

Understanding, Elizabeth realized that Peter had even put himself through the process of helping the puppy get used to being alone.  "That was sweet of you."  She smiled fondly over at Peter.

Shrugging, Peter didn't mind.  "What do you plan on naming him?"

"Satchmo has been playing through my mind all week.  What do you think boys?"  She threw out the first suggestion.

"That's fine, as long as we can call him Satch."  Neal responded while he held his hand out for the puppy to sniff before giggling as he felt the rough little tongue slobbering on his fingers.

Moving the puppy to the floor, Elizabeth let him begin to get the feel for his new home.  "Satchmo it is.  So Satch, what do you think?"  She gently petted the puppy causing it to wobble on his little legs in response to her touch and his yawn.

"Give him a little room boys, don't crowd him, and he'll come to you as he explores."  Peter directed the twins.

"Do we get to keep him?"  Bryce asked which caused Neal to look up hopefully.

Knowing that the answer needed to come from their mom, Peter let her take the question. 

"Yes, Peter got him for us so that he can grow up to be a guard dog.  What do you say to that?"  She reminded the boys of their manors.

Getting up, Neal moved to hug Peter and whispered into his chest.  "Thank you, Peter.  I love him already."

Bryce was too excited to get up as Satch had found his way over to him and was busy licking his face much to the child's delight.  "Thank you, Peter.  Stop it, Satch."

Dissolving into laughter, they group settled around to watch as Satchmo adjusted to his new environment.

*******

**Training**

Teaching the boys, Peter got them started on the basic points of care for what went into managing Satchmo.  Then he showed them the basic points of how to begin training him tricks with rewards.

Settling back on the couch, Peter watched as the boys got a better hand of how work with the pup.  "That's it.  Just take it slow and he'll be a good dog for you."

Watching from the couch, he occasionally threw out a comment, but as his eyes drifted closed, he let the boys get their own feeling for how to handle the dog.

Seeing him drift off to sleep, Elizabeth assumed that Satchmo had been keeping him awake for however many days that he had been taking care of the pup.  Signaling the boys to keep their noise down, she wanted to let the man sleep peacefully while the boys played. 

Despite his fatigue, Peter had worked all morning with the boys and dog, but drifting into the afternoon his fatigue was catching up.

Moving around the apartment, Elizabeth spent the afternoon cooking and arranging the dog's belongings where she thought they would be best.  Then as the evening brought dinner time around, she chose to wake Peter.  Interested in trying again, she lightly kissed him on the lips and watched as his eyes open.

Smiling softly, Peter whispered.  "I could get used to that."

Leaning in to kiss him again, Elizabeth gave him the chance to kiss her back.  Then she stepped away to inform him that dinner was on the table.

Pulling himself up and leveraging off of the couch, Peter welcomed the sight of a good meal spread acrossed the table.  Walking over with her, Peter started up conversation.  "How has Satchmo handled the afternoon's play?"

"He's plumb worn out.  The boys have played with him until the three of them are ready to sleep for the night.  I'll be surprised if they manage to make it through supper without nodding off on their plates."  She smiled as she pointed to the two little boys sitting at their places with bobbing little heads.

Nodding with a smile, Peter could see that the twins were going to be lucky to get some dinner before bed time.  "We might need to send in a rescue party if we keep them waiting any longer."

Settling down around the table, they served the food and ate their meals with eyes on the twins as they bobbed and blinked.  Eating the food, they were hungry, but too tired to last for long.

Catching Neal before his head could drop face first into his food, Peter lifted him out of his seat, and carried him towards the bedroom while Elizabeth followed with the dozy Bryce.  Helping her to put the twins to bed, Peter tucked Neal in while Elizabeth settled Bryce.

Returning to the dining room, they settled in to finish eating their meal while talking about the puppy and his care.  Then after having finished, they worked together to clean up and clear the table.

Cuddling on the couch, Elizabeth chose a romantic comedy for them to watch and settled into Peter's side while he wrapped his arm around her.  Kissing the top of her head, Peter leaned into her and enjoyed the new proximity of their relationship.

Then when the movie ended, Elizabeth walked Peter to the door. 

Turning to bid her goodnight, Peter leaned in and initiated the kiss.  After a few minutes, he pulled back and Elizabeth opened her eyes dreamily as she smiled at him.  Keeping his hand on the side of her face, Peter rubbed his thumb along her cheek as he looked dreamily back into her eyes.  "Goodnight, El."  He called her the shortened version of her name for the first time.

Stealing one last kiss, he had to drag himself out of the door while Elizabeth was loath to let him go.  Peter might not be the twins' father, but he was happy to pass on his fondest memories of what his father had done with him which made her fall a little more in love with him each time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading, reviewing/commenting, and leaving kudos :D
> 
> With the help of a reader, the issue with the symbols is pretty much gone. However, I am noticing one that remains despite not being connected to a specific symbol. "Satchmo has been playing through my mind all week.  What do you think boys?"Â The capital A with a hat keeps appearing at the end of seemingly random sentences so there is no consistency... any ideas?


	19. Bonds

*******

**Relationships**

Having made headway with the twins, Peter found that it was getting to be a whole lot easier to get along with them.  The three were growing closer all of the time and Peter was feeling more like they were his kids rather than just his girlfriend's, while the twins began to look to him as a father figure instead of just a family friend.

Elizabeth and he had also progressed in their romance as he had finally passed into the next level of their relationship.  Although they still did things with the kids, Peter started having extra dates where he took Elizabeth out so that the two could be alone.

They were becoming a family instead of Peter being a friend and casual date.

*******

**Puzzles**

After the first Saturday when he brought Satchmo over, it became a fairly regular routine for Peter to show up for breakfast on the weekends before either taking the twins to class, or hanging out with the available family members for the day.  He was spending less time in his empty apartment and more time in their cozy home.

When he came, Peter often brought his newspaper so that he could do the puzzles.  Although most of the words were too hard for the twins, he began to enjoy sharing the challenge as a part of the morning conversation.

"A three letter word for man's best friend?"  Although he knew what it would be, Peter figured that it was easy enough that the twins might be able to solve it.

"Dog."  Bryce answered easily.  He enjoyed the word games and had come to be fascinated with dogs after the introduction of Satchmo.

"That's right."  Peter smiled proudly at the little boy as he wrote the answer in.  Frowning at the next one, he mentioned it more for Elizabeth's sake than the twins.  It was a harder one so she was the only one with a chance of helping him.  Surprised, Neal was the one who answered for him.

Blinking at the kid, Peter wondered.  "How do you know that?"

"I've been taking art classes for some years now, Peter."  Neal didn't pay much attention as he was making his way through his breakfast.  "It's an art term."

Asking for spelling, Peter was glad to have the help.  "No wonder I've never heard of it."  When the word fit, he was impressed.  "Good job buddy, that fits perfectly."

Giving him a look, Neal didn't have much say as his expression said it all. 

Elizabeth tried really hard not to laugh, but Peter caught the amused expression that she tried to hide behind her coffee cup.

Unable to help it, he grinned back at her and enjoyed the feeling of having such a smart group.  "Now I know who to ask whenever I get stuck on art stuff."

"What about computers?"  Bryce wanted to know.

"You are at the top of my list, buddy."  Peter reassured him.

Pleased, the twins were proud that they could help the big and smart FBI agent with his morning crossword puzzle.

*******

**Math**

One evening Peter was hanging out over at the apartment with some of his case work.  It was an accounting case, so it was mostly numbers orientated.  Spreading over one side of the table, he had his papers arranged in a neat order and was working through the information.

The twins had been focused on playing video games, but were soon interested in what Peter was working on. 

"What are you doing?"  Neal asked.

"Balancing accounting papers, it's a case for work."  He pointed out some of what he was doing, but didn't figure that the twins would find it overly interesting.

"That equals three hundred and forty-five."  Neal said pointing to the line just ahead of where Peter was working.

"Did you just solve that in your head?"  Peter continued to be surprised by how smart the twins were.

Nodding, Neal was simply looking at number groupings and adding them up. 

Bryce climbed up onto Peter 's lap and asked him how he was balancing the numbers. 

Grabbing a blank sheet of paper, Peter began using some of his real world numbers from the case to show the boys how it worked.  By the time he had run through the basic process, they were pointing out small portions of his work and telling him the answers.

Making it the most fun accounting case he had ever worked, Peter soon had one twin on each knee and they worked together to solve as much of the paperwork as possible.

When the twins were beginning to doze, Peter enjoyed the feeling of having them each cuddled into his chest.  Sure, his legs were falling asleep and he had to reach further around them, but it was still a nice feeling.

*******

**Running**

Since Satchmo needed his exercise, Peter had started taking him for a walk on Saturday mornings, but as the pup grew, he transitioned it into more of a run.  Tagging along, the twins liked to take turns holding the leash or racing each other through the park.

Although Peter often did a warm up run on his own before taking the twins, he still enjoyed the activity of taking the two boys and the dog to the park for their morning exercise.

"Are you two ready?"  He asked as he showed up at the door.

"Yep, mom is going to have breakfast ready when we get home and Satchmo has done his business for the morning."  Bryce informed him while he and Neal finished putting their shoes on.

Satchmo was holding his leash in his mouth as he anticipated a run and play time.  Pacing between the twins, he added Peter to his visits once he had arrived.

Crouching down to pet the pup and give him a good scratch, Peter had long since been a welcomed sight for the puppy.  Satchmo tended to greet any of them when they arrived, and to him Peter was just another member of the family to be welcomed home.

When the boys were ready, Peter kissed Elizabeth good morning and led the others down to the park where they went to their starting point.

"Alright, I have my stop watch today so we can time our run.  What do you say to improving our times?"  He presented the challenge to the twins.

"Yeah, I'm so going to be the fastest."  Neal was determined to have the most speed.

"I can always run longer than you, so even if you're faster, you wouldn't catch me in a race."  Bryce knew he was slightly slower, but he was really good at pacing himself for distance.

"Now boys, we are going to try and beat our own times more than each other."  Peter tried to direct their competitiveness to be against themselves, but he couldn't deny that for them to race each other was going to be natural.

Ignoring him, the twins were still determined to challenge each other all the same.

Directing them to do their stretches before they could run off, Peter managed to control their competitiveness enough to make sure each one completed their warm up.  Then taking up his stance, Peter signaled the boys that it was time for them to be ready to run.

"Ready, get set, go..."  Peter called off before all three of them took off running with Satchmo running alongside.

Chuckling slightly to himself, he watched as Neal tried to keep his lead, but Bryce's steady pace was gaining on him.  Puffing, Neal put another burst of energy in to push himself to keep his lead, but he was losing it despite his best efforts.  Bryce caught up to Neal, held his ground right beside him, and then pulled to the lead as Neal dropped slightly behind him.

By the time they reached the end of their run, Neal was breathing a little heavily while Peter and Bryce were more steady in their deep breathes.

"You did a good job Neal, but you do need to pace yourself better.  Why don't you try running beside Bryce next time, then you can race the final stretch?"  Peter tried to teach him strategy.  "That's how a lot of professional racers go, conserve energy until the final stretch."

Cocking his head to the side, Neal looked like he would consider it next time, especially if it gave him a good chance at winning.

*******

**Clue**

Using a favorite board game of his, Peter would play Clue with the twins to teach them how he worked as an FBI agent to catch bad guys.  It wasn't exactly accurate, but it was a way to break down the general concept for them.

"Alright, so we have the cards dealt.  These three are the room, weapon, and killer so we'll place them in the middle of the board to be figured out.  Then these are your cards and what you have to work off of."  Peter passed the twins their cards.  "Now, the way to play the game is that each player roles the dice, moves accordingly to the room of their choice, or in its general direction.  If you reach a room and are able to enter, then you pick one person, one weapon, and the room that you are in as your theory for how, where, and by whom the murder was committed.  After you say your theory, then the other players go around until someone can help.  If no one can help you, then either you are using cards that you have, or you have theorized correctly.  Once you have chosen what your theory is, then on your turn you have to roll to reach the stairs, and the first person there gets to state their theory.  When someone has declared correctly, they are the winner.  But if you're wrong, then you no longer get to theorize, but you still have to help others with your cards until someone wins.  Do you understand?"

The twins nodded and they began to play.  Rolling the dice Neal reached the kitchen and began to arrange his play.  "Do you know, that if the murderer used a knife, washed the blood off, and then cut a potato to the point that its oils covered the blood points, then the initial tests for blood would be voided by the discovery of potato?"

Stunned, Peter wondered how in the world Neal would know that.  "How did you know that potato could flag initial tests like blood?"

"Television, we sometimes see parts of cop shows.  Considering that one had a man getting arrested for murder because his shovel had been used to dig up potatoes, but the test said that it had blood, it makes sense that potatoes could be used to mask blood.  Doesn't it?"  Neal just had a curious expression on his face as he wanted confirmation of his theory.

"Uh... I don't know on that one for sure, but it would definitely make it harder to catch someone."  Peter suddenly wondered if that had ever been used in the field.  Now he was curious to do a little research when he got back to work...

Finishing up the round, they each took their turn and continued into the next.

Curious, Peter decided to throw a few general case ideas to see how Neal would solve, or commit, the crime.  "Okay Neal, here is a puzzle for you.  How would you solve this crime?  There is a stolen painting that you are hoping to catch from a second criminal, but you have another first criminal that is trying to hinder you.  In an effort to be successful, you put the first criminal in a locked closet downstairs and then surprise the second with a warrant and arrest team.  Pulling out the painting, you discover that it is a fake.  When you get back downstairs, the first criminal is still in the locked closet and the security guards watching him said he didn't move.  Could the first criminal have switched them out on you, and if so, how did he pull it off?"  It was a case that was stumping the team, so Peter wondered how Neal would view it.  The kid had a brilliant mind for solving problems.

Thinking about it for a while, Neal seemed to be more focused on the game. 

Letting him work it through, Peter would have been surprised if Neal solved what an entire team of FBI agents had been failing to do.

"Could the closet be connected to air vents?  One show had a person crawling through the air vents to escape from the police."  Neal asked.

"Maybe, but if he slipped through the air vents to beat the team up, he would have still moved very quickly to get back down.  He was almost immediately checked on after the painting was discovered."  Peter had a mental note to check the building's blue prints.

"Getting back down could be rather easy, there are ways to fly.  Maybe he jumped with a parachute?"  Neal shrugged.

Peter was about to negate how crazy of a move that would be, but then he decided that it wouldn't hurt to check it out.  After all, nothing else had panned out.  "You know, that would be some very good possibilities as to how it could have happened."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading, reviewing/commenting, and leaving kudos :D


	20. Connecting

***********

**Solution**

Walking into work the next day, Peter entered the conference room and grabbed the blue prints for the building. While he began researching the ideas that Neal had mentioned, the rest of the agents watched him wondering what he was up to.

"Did inspiration strike you last night? You look like you have a theory to verify." Jones commented.

"Noâ€¦ not my own inspiration anyway. I'm researching the theory of a five year old." Peter muttered.

Laughing, Diana couldn't believe he had asked his girlfriend's kids. "Did you seriously ask those twins you're always talking about?"

That got their boss's attention too. Hughes directed his own question at Peter. "You talked about an active case with them?" It could be considered a breach of confidentiality, so he wanted to make sure Peter was being careful.

"Not exactly. We were playing Clue when Neal commented on how a potato could give a false positive for human blood, so he theorized that the killer could get away with the crime if they cleaned the worst of the blood off before cutting potatoes. I don't know if it would work or not, but it made me curious what he would come up with for our case. Using the first and second criminal, a forgery, and the fact that the first criminal was locked in a closet, I asked how he would solve it."

Hughes was curious. If the case was solved by a five year old, it would definitely be a new way of crime fighting. "And, what is his theory?"

"Well, he thinks he might have been able to escape the closet by means of the ventilation system. And looking at the blue prints, the closet does connect to with an opening. If he climbed through the vents and exited near the stairs, he might have been able to run fast enough to beat the elevator." Peter had researched enough to know it was possible, but wasn't sure how to verify it.

Looking thoughtful, Hughes wondered how they could have missed that. "Didn't anyone check the ventilation shafts before?"

Blake raised his hand. "I did, but that didn't explain how he could have gotten back down so quickly, or how he evaded us in the apartment. Because I couldn't explain the other side of it, I set those aside as less likely scenarios."

Turning back to Peter, Hughes wondered if the kid had any solutions to the rest of the problem.

Grinning, Peter knew they were going to love it. "He does, he thinks he might have flown, like base jumping with a parachute."

"Can we verify that?" Jones asked curiously.

Holding up a tape, Peter showed them that he had already picked up what they needed.

Settling back, the group started watching video feeds in the hopes of finding the unlikely parachute.

***********

**Celebrate**

Coming over the next day, Peter had a treat for the family.

Entering through the door with the ice cream cake, Peter enjoyed the delighted sounds from the twins and the surprised look of Elizabeth's.

"What is this for? You didn't have to buy a cake." Elizabeth puzzled.

"I didn't buy this. It's courtesy of the FBI White Collar division." Peter had a huge smile on his face as he set it on the table.

Repeating her first question, Elizabeth asked why.

"Do you remember when we were playing Clue the other day and I was asking Neal about the crime with the men and the painting?" Seeing her recollection, he wasn't surprised that she still didn't understand. "That was the barest summary of a real case, one that had the entire FBI stumped. Following Neal's suggestion, we researched the air vents and surveillance of the street belowâ€¦"

Seeing the understanding dawn on the group, Peter just nodded to them while confirming their understanding. "Yep, we caught a very surprising view of our man landing his parachute on Wall Streetâ€¦ the economy wasn't the only thing catching attention that afternoon. So in appreciation for finding the creative solution, my whole team sprang for this."

Appreciating that Peter was sharing his work with them, Elizabeth let it slide that he ran his problem past her children, but she knew that she didn't want the twins getting involved too much as it was a dangerous business. Exchanging glances with Peter, she knew that he had understood her stance and that it wouldn't be a problem.

***********

**Park**

Continuing in their more normal form of bonding, Peter took the twins for a day in the park one Saturday that they were out of classes and Elizabeth had an event.

He wasn't going to risk taking them to a game, but he figured they might enjoy throwing a ball around and actually participating in the sport rather than watching.

Pulling up next to the park's baseball diamonds, he selected one for their use and pulled his duffle bag out of the trunk. Letting Satchmo off of his leash to play nearby, he led the twins inside and began the work of teaching them how to play.

First, he took both twins and split them up. Putting Neal towards the pitcher's mound and Bryce closer to the home base, he gave them each a glove and started to show them how to throw the ball for another to catch. Holding the position in the middle, he passed the ball around with them for a while until they were getting the hang of it.

Second, he pulled the bat out and they started the challenge of seeing if they could hit the ball with the bat instead of catching it. For that exercise, he had one twin throw the ball and the other try to hit it while he bounced in between coaching them each on their skills.

Finally, when they seemed to be getting a general hang of it, he practiced throwing the ball to one twin who would try to hit, and the other would catch when a successful hit happened.

It wasn't a real game of baseball, but it taught them the basic skills, was a bonding time between them with his passion like his father had with him as a child, and it gave them exercise. Even Satchmo got in on the fun by helping with retrieving the far out lying balls to return them to the pitcher's mound.

***********

**Treats**

After their fun in the park, Peter took the weary boys to an ice cream shop. It wasn't the same as going to the game, but in appreciation for their behavior while participating in his favorite sport that they weren't so fond of, he was willing to reward them.

Giving each boy a scoop of their favorite treat, he even purchased a dish with a small scoop for Satchmo.

Moving to the benches outside to keep any mess in the outdoors, Peter sat down with the boys while they licked their treat and Satchmo enjoyed his by their feet.

"Did you enjoy the afternoon?" He started conversation with them.

Nodding, each boy seemed to have had fun.

"I liked it when I hit a homerun!" Bryce exclaimed. Although it wasn't technically a homerun, it would have qualified if he had been bigger to hit it farther.

"How about you Neal?" What was your favorite part?" Peter tried to get his response.

"Playing with you." Neal hadn't seemed enthusiastic about the sport, but he did seem to genuinely enjoy playing with Peter and Bryce.

That melted Peter's heart. He loved it whenever the twins said or did things that said they accepted him. It didn't happen often, but once in a while they would show that they were learning to see him the same way that he was coming to see them, as family.

Ruffling his hair, Peter responded. "I enjoyed playing with you too, Neal." Then turning to Bryce, he encouraged his enthusiasm with a high five. "That was a good hit!"

Then talking with them for a bit, he found reasons to compliment each of them. Bryce was good at hitting the ball, but Neal had a knack for catching more often than not.

When Satchmo barked and whined, Peter included him in the encouragement with a scratch behind his ears. "You did a good job too Satchmo, retrieving all of those balls so that we didn't have to run all over the field for them."

Having had fun, the twins asked if they could play again another day.

"How about we play again the next Saturday that you're out of your classes? Then maybe your mom can come along to see you and perhaps play along with us some." Peter loved the idea. So what if the twins weren't big fans of watching the game, at least they enjoyed throwing a baseball around with him at the diamond. Playing together was more important anyway.

***********

**Discipline**

Running into a day where the twins weren't being overly cooperative, Peter found himself in one of those rare experiences, that were becoming more frequent, where the twins were misbehaving.

When he had first started to date Elizabeth and had met the twins, they were instructed to be on their best behavior because he was a guest. Sure, they had done some things to test him, but that was to ensure he was someone they wanted to see around more.

Now that they had been dating for going on a year and Peter was no longer such a special guest, things were changing. Peter was around more often, and the twins were themselves more often, which meant that Peter was seeing more of the ups and downs of the family.

This particular day had both twins cranky and reluctant to behave. They didn't want to mind their mother, they got rude with Peter, and they even were mean to Satchmo.

Having had enough, Elizabeth took each of them off into the side room one by one. Each one had their talk as to what they were doing wrong, their immediate discipline, and then the sentence of their longer term discipline which meant that they weren't going to be doing their favorite activities at all that day. Then sending them each to bed, she was determined that they get some sleep to improve their attitudes.

Apologizing to Peter and giving Satchmo a treat for handling the mistreatment well, she collapsed down onto the couch exhausted herself. "The neighbors have been being so noisy this week that none of us have been sleeping." She looked like she was ready to doze off herself.

Grabbing a blanket and dropping it around her shoulders, Peter took the seat next to her and pulled her over into him. Kissing the top of her head and setting a book beside himself, he was volunteering to read while she slept cuddled into him.

Enjoying his warmth, Elizabeth was surprised when he began to softly read one of her favorite books out loud to her. Loving the sound of his voice as he read the words, she let it lull her off to sleep as she relaxed.

***********

**Injured**

Guiding Peter into the apartment, Elizabeth wasn't taking no for an answer.

He had been injured in the line of duty, and although it was a minor injury, he wasn't supposed to be left alone while the strong pain medication was running through his system. Seeing it as an opportunity to take care of him, Elizabeth had insisted that he stay with them on the couch.

Once he was settled in, Elizabeth kept the boys quite by muting their games and giving Satch a bone to chew on in the other room. With the space relatively quiet, she let Peter sleep while she made him some homemade soup.

After he woke up, Peter was a little grumpy himself. He wasn't at his best and the loopy condition meant his guard was down.

Experiencing what he was like on one of his bad days, Elizabeth decided that he wasn't so bad. No worse than her twins were or Ethan used to be.

Soothing him as best she could, Elizabeth found how Peter liked to be taken care of when he didn't feel wellâ€¦ in short, babied. Smiling, she put a cool damp cloth on his brow to ease the slight fever, made sure he was warmly wrapped up in a blanket, and had warm soup waiting for him when he was awake enough to eat it.

As long as he survived any injury, she would be happy to help nurse him back to health.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, reviewing, leaving kudos, and choosing to favorite :D


	21. Meeting

***********

**Introduction**

Peter and Elizabeth were going out on one of their dates alone which meant the twins were going to have a babysitter for the evening. June was out of town with family, so the usual babysitter Peter had become familiar with wasn't available, and he was curious to meet the back up.

Arriving at the door, Peter was greeted by Satchmo and the twins wanting to be petted or hugged. Being drug back into the room by the hand, he found himself brought face to face with a shorter balding man wearing glasses. The man was dressed rather nice for a babysitter, but more like a classic gentleman with rat pack influence than a modern outfit.

"It's nice to meet you Mr. Haversham. My name is Peter Burke." He introduced himself like a civilian. Sometimes it was best to keep the 'agent' part secret.

Looking paranoid and suspicious, Mozzie inspected his hand visually before accepting it. "Like wise Mr. Burke."

Sensing that the man wasn't as pleased to meet him as he said, Peter figured he would just be another harsh critique to win over. "Were El's previous boyfriend's really so bad? It seems everyone I meet for the first time isn't overly trusting."

Snorting, Mozzie wasn't going to go into full detail. "Most of them weren't right for the family, but at least one was dangerous. He didn't show anything until well into the date, but he was one to ditch as soon as possible."

"You seem to be rather familiar with her past relationships." Peter mentioned. Was the guy family, a close friend, or on the obsessive side of the scale?

Gauging the intent behind the comment, Mozzie decided he didn't like what Peter was intoning. "You asked. What makes you think I would know?"

Cocking his head to the side slightly, Peter was thinking. "The twins love you and talk a lot about you, Elizabeth seems to consider you a good friend, but most of the rest of their circle doesn't seem to know who you are. I'm just trying to figure out where you fit into everything."

"Consider me a family friend interested in their wellbeing, which also means I won't be afraid to help chase you off should you treat them poorly." He stated and warned, just so that Peter would know where he stood with him.

"That goes two ways. I'm also interested in their wellbeing and willing to protect them with everything I have at my disposal." Peter warned right back, although he appreciated the man's protectiveness.

Feeling a general point of commonality, the two men decided they could generally get along and accept each other.

Leaving with Elizabeth, they said good bye to the twins and Mozzie before Peter guided her down to the car.

***********

**Suit**

Later in the evening, Mozzie received a call from an associate of his to inform him that the Feds had busted up their plans. Although no one had been caught, it was going to complicate their next job so Mozzie was going to be needed for planning and revisions.

Delaying the get together, Mozzie refused to have his company over as he was babysitting and not allowed to bring his connections around the little kids. Their mom didn't want them to end up in any kind of danger or trouble. Despite the protests, Mozzie held his ground for the safety of the kids.

Making arrangements to get together once his job was done, he soothed the ruffled feathers and ended the conversation.

Continuing in his work of making dinner, Mozzie proceeded to rant quietly about how annoying the FBI could be; until Neal redirected his entire focus.

"But Mozzie, Peter is a Fed, and he isn't as mean of a suit as you're talking about."

Dropping the spoon into the pan and causing his special spaghetti sauce to splash all over the oven, Mozzie's jaw dropped open. "You mean... The Peter I just met a while ago is a Fed, and you've been talking to him about me?"

Drawn by the commotion, Bryce also moved closer to investigate. "Yeah, we told him about the food you cook, how you teach us card tricks, and your theories about people living under the city."

Gently interrogating them, Mozzie tried to get as much information as possible. "Anything else?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Neal indicated that they had covered the basics. "Not really, unless you mean talking about what foods, tricks, or stories?" He asked if he should get more detailed.

Thinking through everything the twins knew about him, Mozzie decided they couldn't be talking about anything too serious. The real problem was if Peter looked into him too closely. Suddenly he was glad he had a reason to rush off after Elizabeth and the Fed returned.

With a plan in mind, Mozzie refocused on his surroundings only to be dismayed by the red mess dotting the cooking area. Getting a wash cloth, he began to carefully clean it up before it could burn on while keeping the food cooking.

Directing the twins to set the table, he kept them distracted and out of his way while he manned the kitchen.

Then as he sat them down to eat a nice Italian meal, he started the conversation into Peter and tried to collect as much information about the enemy as possible.

"We don't know much about law enforcement, but our daddy was a police officer, and Peter is FBI. There is nothing wrong with them." Neal started the conversation.

Not liking the hero worship in his voice, Mozzie knew he was facing a losing battle on that front. "Fine, not all police are bad, but what can you tell me about Peter?"

Accepting the agreement, Neal and Bryce weren't going to allow anything bad to be said about their father figures, but they couldn't fight Mozzie's aversion in general.

With the sides chosen, they talked while they ate.

***********

**Con**

Returning from their date, Peter and Elizabeth were both surprised when Mozzie had to run. Although he didn't explain much, just a basic "A meeting came up unexpectedly" thrown over his shoulder as he left.

Shrugging, Peter wasn't going to complain as it meant more time with the family by himself, but it did make him more curious about the man. "Does he always run off like that?"

Looking concerned, Elizabeth wondered if it was a personal thing, or a criminal issue. Not wishing to get into that yet, she shrugged it off. "No, but then his business interests are varied according to a mutual friend, so who knows what could have come up."

Unfortunately, the twins had been witness to his conversation.

"He got a call. Something about the Feds breaking up a friend's work and him being needed to make new plans." Neal shrugged as he colored on a piece of paper.

"Then he had a series of rants about suits while he was cooking dinner. We didn't catch what all he said, but he didn't seem too happy." Bryce added while trying to beat his previous time score on a game.

Turning to Elizabeth in concern, Peter suddenly had a lot of questions. "He is a criminal? And you have him as a babysitter?"

Forced into the situation anyway, Elizabeth had to own up to her choice. "Yes, he is some kind of minor con man according to June. I don't ask and he doesn't tell the extent of what he does on his own time, but he isn't allowed to bring any of it into my home. The twins' safety comes first."

Shocked, Peter continued to try and understand. "But why have him as a babysitter if you know there are risks involved?"

Shrugging, Elizabeth wasn't certain, but she knew it was because of the heart of the man. "He is really good with the twins, comes highly recommended from a friend who has had him babysitting for her for years, and he has helped to watch out for us."

Realizing why the man would know about the violent boyfriend, Peter wondered how he helped to chase him away. "The dangerous boyfriend?"

"Something about him didn't feel right, so I asked Mozzie to shadow the date as a chaperone while June had the twins stay over. When the guy hit me... Mozzie had a few rather large friends hovering nearby who sent him off with their numbers and size. After that, all I know is that I've never seen him again." She was grateful for Mozzie's actions and didn't want to cause trouble for him. "Please, just let him be. If he comes acrossed your desk, then I can't help the situation, but don't go looking into him on purpose." She asked.

Frustrated. Peter huffed through his nose. "That goes against my instincts... but I guess I can overlook it unless he does anything in front of me, ever puts you or the twins in danger, or comes up as a part of an official investigation." Peter relented. He didn't like it, but who was he to go looking into every two bit con man in the city?

Hugging him gratefully, Elizabeth was glad he wasn't going to push the subject. "Mozzie really is a nice guy and he has a good heart in many ways. I think you two would get along if it wasn't for the Fed and Con stuff."

Kissing her, Peter started to relax some. "Many a criminal has good intentions, but they often go about things the wrong way." Then looking down at the woman in his arms, he added. "And we do have CIs that work with us... criminal informants."

Laughing as she relaxed, Elizabeth tried to picture Mozzie working with law enforcement. "I doubt Mozzie would ever agree to anything like that."

"Most don't, and we don't always accept them either. It takes a fine balance to be able to work together at all." Peter assured her.

With the topic relaxing, they checked with the boys to see what they were doing before it was time for bed and for Peter to head home.

***********

**Danger**

When someone posted a picture of the family on their front door, Elizabeth immediately called Peter.

Rushing over to the apartment, he called the police who tried to get as much information as possible before taking the photo for their investigation.

Then another morning, Elizabeth woke in the middle of the night to the sound of Satchmo barking madly while there were sounds of someone working on her door. Hurrying into the twins' room and ordering them to hide again, she called in the emergency before cowering between the door and the beds to protect her boys.

When Satchmo's barks and growls quieted, she still didn't feel relieved until the police followed by Peter showed up.

Packing his bag again, Peter prepared to move onto the couch as a protective barrier should the stalker return.

***********

**Team Up**

When the finger prints revealed her violent date from some years prior, Elizabeth was surprised to discover that he such a need to control her.

Mozzie showed up to offer his services again. "I hear he is back?"

"Yes. He has an FBI file and is a wanted man, so Peter's team is working to catch him from the official side and Peter is back to camping on the couch to make sure we are safe." She was relieved to say as she sat sipping her tea. After the stress she had been experiencing, a relaxing chat with a friend and the comfortable protection that an FBI boyfriend could provide felt good.

"Does he know about me?" Mozzie wondered.

Spinning her cup, Elizabeth wondered how he had learned about Peter. Then again, the twins were the most likely source. "The night you left in a hurry after meeting Peter... he asked if that was normal and the twins talked about what they knew of your phone conversation."

Sighing, Mozzie knew it was inevitable. "How did he react?"

"He isn't happy, but he agreed to let it be as long as you don't do anything in front of him, don't put us in danger, and don't slide acrossed his desk officially." She was hoping Mozzie could work with the agreement.

Nodding, "I could work with that. It's better than I expected from a Fed."

Then getting a thought, Mozzie wondered if Peter would be willing to work with him. "Not in the official sense like a CI, because I'm not a snitch, but my street contacts might be able to help take your former date down faster."

"Would you be willing to risk that?" Elizabeth held her breath in anticipation.

"Only for you... and if he won't use the aid against me later." Mozzie conceded.

"I'll call him and see if he is willing." Elizabeth called Peter to take advantage of the opportunity.

When Peter picked up, she briefly told him the offer and asked if they could meet. Then she ended the call. "He is on his way over now. Considering that this is an active case, his bosses will be more willing to let him chose his methods, so he is willing to talk at least."

Beginning to pace, Mozzie questioned his sanity, but the deed was done and the consequences in motion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, commenting/reviewing, leaving kudos, following, and choosing to favorite my stories and I :D


	22. Teamwork

***********

**Arrangement**

Putting on some coffee for Peter, Elizabeth topped off Mozzie's tea and tried to keep him calm until the agent arrived.

Hearing a knock on the door, Elizabeth went to let Peter in. Giving him a kiss, she then motioned for him to make himself comfortable in her little kitchen space. Seeing the lack of seating, she moved to the living room space where she would be handy, but out of the way.

Grabbing a cup with comfortable familiarity, Peter poured some coffee, pulled out a notepad and paper, and then took his seat at the table with his brief case at his feet. "I'm listening." He motioned for Mozzie to talk understanding that he needed to take advantage of the opportunity before the little guy changed his mind.

Surprised once again, Mozzie had expected Peter to be controlling. "I have a few terms if we are to work together to take this guy down." At Peter's nod and gesture that he was ready to take notes, he continued. "First, you do not use anything that I may disclose against me. My contacts are going to be a help, not a hinder, but I won't risk them if you are going to harass them."

"Despite popular belief, most of us don't go around harassing people." Seeing Mozzie's glare, Peter promised. "I won't harass your sources should you disclose any details about them to me." Remembering the first part, Peter finish. "And I promise not to use your help against you. El and the boys are more valuable than catching you."

"I agree, which is the only reason I'm offering this treaty." Mozzie reaffirmed their point of commonality.

"Then let's get it hammered out so that we can catch him." Peter commented.

"Are we going to sign a contract or something?" Mozzie looked intrigued. He knew some of how the legal process worked, but he had never been close to an FBI agent before to learn how they worked in person.

"There are some official papers, but this 'treaty' is more of a personal agreement." Peter explained.

"Why do you have to make it official?" Mozzie looked nervous. Was the Suit going to double cross him?

"Otherwise my coworkers might arrest you, but having some record as friendly means people are more likely to leave you alone." Peter was reluctant to protect the con, but he knew the man might be more willing to work with him if he put his best foot forwards.

"You would do that? How does it work?" Mozzie was more interested.

"I would do anything to protect them, and keeping you out of jail to help will do that faster. This is a variation of being a CI. Less regular, but a street contact all the same." Seeing Mozzie's reluctance already showing, he pressed his point. "Do you want me to be able to use your evidence? It needs to be recorded for the justice system somehow, and a street source is more credible than anonymous."

Giving in, Mozzie wasn't thrilled, but he really loved the family so he was risking getting burned for them. "I won't give you my real information!"

"Only if you want paid. Otherwise, we use your street credit by some name or another." Peter muttered.

"Fine, I can give up one of my identities for this." Mozzie crossed his arms lightly.

"We might as well get that out of the way while we're at it." Peter pulled his papers up and began to lay them out on the table.

Working together, they created a general agreement with Peter's official papers being signed, and Mozzie's drawn up legal papers being signed. Although they had to sign a rough draft for the interim, Mozzie gave Peter an official and legal document once he could draw one up.

Signed and legally binding, both men were satisfied before they hit the street together.

***********

**Stakeout**

Munching on a deviled ham sandwich, Peter was trying to ignore his companion.

Because Mozzie refused to work with any other agents, Peter was stuck following up on his lead personally. That meant hours of being stuck in close quarters with an annoyingly paranoid little man with plenty of strange habits.

"Can't you find something else to eat? That sandwich of your stinks." Mozzie was complaining for the umpteenth time.

"I like my sandwiches. If I'm supposed to get something else to eat, then you would have to get something other than crickets first. Who eats bugs anyway?" Hearing the man breath towards a speech, he cut him off. "Don't answer that. Just let me enjoy my sandwich on this side of the car, and keep your food to your side of the car!"

Muttering, Mozzie stopped his complaints about the food, but he still had the radio station and several other things to choose from.

"Leave the radio alone. My car, my choice." Peter slapped his hand away as he tried to change to a more classical station.

"What is it with baseball anyway?" Mozzie muttered. He was uncomfortable with the whole situation, so he was nit-picking at the little details that were more controllable. Elizabeth and the twins were worth it, but it was definitely trying him to sit in a car with the FBI suit.

"Baseball is a passion that my father taught me. I used to play, but wasn't able to continue so listening to the game keeps me in touch with my old love. Don't you have something you are passionate about?" He tried to make basic conversation. The squabbling was beyond tiring.

"You aren't going to get anything out of me about my interests in the criminal world... I don't want to tip you off where to go looking for me." Mozzie refused to cooperate even in basic conversation.

Rolling his eyes, Peter was annoyed that the man was so suspiciously paranoid. "You're only passionate about crime? I'm trying to make conversation without you complaining. If you can't do that, then be quiet and don't talk at all."

With the choice of risking basic conversation, or a silence, Mozzie chose silence. "I don't' want to say anything I'll regret." Fidgeting, he transferred his nervous energy into general movement.

"Are you five? You're fidgeting like the twins do when they're bored. Why don't you find something to do?" Peter snarked a little bit. He was beyond tired of Mozzie's behavior.

Pulling out a book, Mozzie split his focus between watching the building and reading.

Finally having some peace, Peter tried to unwind his nerves to watch the location and listen to the game.

***********

**Office**

"Did your source's information pay off?" Hughes asked.

"Yeah, we got enough evidence to get a warrant and ascertained that he is hiding out there." Peter was glad to have the stakeout completed. He was grateful for Mozzie's help, but he didn't want to have to go through that again if he didn't have to.

"Who would have thought that your girlfriend's babysitter would turn out to be a con?" Jones was amused as he went through all of the paperwork connected to the case. "He even drew up a full legal document for you to sign. Do you think he got himself a law degree at 'con'slegaldegreestoavoidgettingbusted.com?'"

"Ha-ha, the man is smart, paranoid, and incredibly annoying. He ate crickets on the stakeout!" Peter complained to his fellow agents. They would understand.

"I hear crickets aren't that bad tasting, high in protein too, but you have to get past the knowledge that you're eating bugs." Diana smiled despite the slight grimace on her face.

"If he was willing to work with other agents, I'd volunteer you two for your laughing." Peter lightly threatened. They were having too much fun with his misery.

"He is helping to protect Elizabeth and the twins. Dealing with an annoying con can't be that bad in comparison to a risk on their safety." Hughes was more serious about the situation.

Sighing, Peter knew why he endured everything that the little con man threw at him. "They're worth it, but that doesn't mean it's pleasant."

Patting him on the shoulder as he moved to make some arrangements for the coming bust, Hughes tried to support Peter knowing he was having it rough in both his personal and professional life.

Easing up on the teasing, the other two found another line of conversation to try and draw Peter out into a better humor.

***********

**Arrest**

Joining up with the team, Peter felt great pleasure in seeing the man hauled away in cuffs. He was going to jail for a long time based on what he was guilty of, and the River's family would be safe in the meanwhile. Should the man be stupid enough to go after them again down the road, then Peter and Mozzie could find a way to take him out of the picture again... but Peter really hoped he would just stay away.

Waving to the little man hovering in the distance, Peter acknowledged that he had spotted him and the arrest was complete.

Tipping his hat, the little man drove away in his taxi.

"Was that the street source?" Jones asked as he came up behind Peter.

Shaking his head, Peter knew Jones would hardly believe it if he told him everything. "Yeah, he is an odd little fellow, but at least he is serious in his protection of the family."

"Do you think the taxi is legal?" Jones ribbed him.

"I'm not even going to ask right now. The agreement is that I don't pursue anything unless it's obviously a crime. For all I know, he has a legal taxi and makes his money driving around the city." Peter sounded tired.

"Let's go get the interrogation done, then we can wrap up the papers, and you can share the good news with the Rivers." Diana said as she came up from the other side.

Following his coworkers, Peter turned back to the vehicles and headed into the office.

***********

**Visit**

Sitting at his desk. Peter was pleasantly surprised when he heard an agent guide Elizabeth and the twins into the office.

Wearing a broad grin, his day got a whole lot better for getting to show them where he worked and introducing them to the team. Standing up and walking around his desk, he kissed Elizabeth and crouched to give each twin a hug. "I didn't expect you here." He said in part question and part statement.

"I was running some errands and we decided to stop by to see how the case was going. We've never stopped by to see your work, and the twins have been asking, so I figured a brief stop wouldn't hurt." Elizabeth shrugged with a smile.

The twins were staring around the room in wide eyed wonder.

"This is a real FBI office..." Neal was intrigued.

"It looks kind of boring." Bryce wasn't overly impressed. There were just a bunch of desks and shelves of files. What was the big deal about that?

Moving in to meet the family he had heard so much about, Jones laughed at Bryce. "That is because the cool stuff happens in the field. This is just where we process the paperwork and do the investigations through computers and phone calls."

"Do you ever do stakeouts?" Neal asked.

"Yes, either in the van or our government vehicles. Would you boys like a tour?" Jones offered to distract them while the adults talked about the case.

Once Elizabeth gave her permission, Jones took the boys off to meet everyone and see the basic areas of the office.

Meeting Diana on their way, they divided the twins up and each kept watch of one while trying to answer all of their questions.

Remaining behind, Elizabeth was called into Hughes' office with Peter. There they talked about the case and how it was being resolved.

When they were done, the office sent Peter home early so he could escort them out of the building before taking them to dinner.

"Mozzie has agreed to be an occasional street contact." Peter informed her as they were leaving the building. "He won't work with anyone but me, but if I need help, he will consider it."

"See, this day is a good day. It's over with him in prison so he shouldn't be bothering us again. Then on top of that, Mozzie and you are going to at least try to continue getting along." Elizabeth was elated and enjoyed the prospect of a relaxing diner with her family and a continued agreement between Peter and her friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, reviewing/commenting, leaving kudos, and choosing to favorite :D


	23. Friends

******

**Girlfriends**

In the past, the twins' play dates were usually during the week while he was at work, so Peter hadn't participated in their social life. With their birthday party drawing nearer and plans for Peter to be present with their friends, it was past time for him to learn more of who they were.

Listening while he tried to help Elizabeth prepare some decorations, Peter watched Neal do a much better job despite his chatter.

"Sara is pretty. She has red hair and likes my art." Neal's descriptions weren't always helpful. "Her sister ran away and hasn't been found, so she tends to be sad a lot."

Wondering what the story behind that was, Peter knew he probably wasn't going to be learning much.

"Are you close to Sara?" Peter asked to learn more about her.

"She's my girlfriend. We're going to get married." Neal stated with certainty.

Choking, Peter was surprised, but amused. He thought it was sweet that the boy had a girl of interest, but it surprised him because he was nearly a six year old little boy. "Are you two going to wait until you grow up?"

"Yeah. I'm going to give her a promise ring in high school like dad did for mom. Then I'll propose after college. Dad had a good plan going with his order." Neal continued to color a banner.

Nodding, Peter couldn't deny that. "He did have a good plan. So, you're going to follow in his footsteps. Does that include using your mother's rings?" The question had a dual purpose. Would Elizabeth be open to wearing his rings when the time came?

"Mom put her rings in a jewelry box for us to use someday. Either the first twin to get engaged, or the twin who wants them the most. It depends on if we were both interested or not. So far, Bryce doesn't think he would ever get married, and Sara is okay with the idea of wearing my mom's rings."

The conversation was oddly calm and adult. Here Peter was talking weddings with a child. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Peter wondered what the response would be. "What if I were to someday give your mom rings?"

Shrugging, Neal acted like it was already expected. "Bryce and I are willing to give you our blessing when you're ready."

"You've talked about that, huh?" Peter was fascinated by the conversation and paid more attention to it than his project.

"We have been watching mom's boyfriends for years. There is something different about you, and you fit everything that we want in a father. So, yeah, it's okay for you to marry her when you're ready."

"You have no idea how glad I am to hear that, or how proud I'd be to be your step-father." Peter said softly with feeling. He wanted Neal to know how much he meant it, but he really hoped that Elizabeth hadn't heard any of their conversation.

"We don't call you dad, but you are the only one we can remember. Maybe someday it will be official." Neal started to have some hope in his voice, like he was testing Peter's intentions.

"Hopefully that won't be too much longer, but I'd be honored if you would call me dad whenever you want." Peter conveyed that he not only intended to propose, but that he was getting closer to doing so.

"I think we'll wait until it is official, that way the first time is special." Neal wasn't going to waste that first remembered use of the special word.

"How about I call you son then, would that be alright? We can make it our own celebration." Peter asked.

Looking excited, Neal obviously loved it. "After the wedding ceremony, at some special point once it's official."

Reaching over to ruffle Neal's hair and rest his hand on his shoulder, Peter wanted to hug the boy so when Neal stopped drawing he got up to do just that. "I'll let you say if first, so that I know when you're ready."

Snuggling into Peter's chest, Neal buried his head into his neck. "I love you."

It was the first time Neal had said it, and Peter's heart felt every letter of it. "Not as much as I love you."

******

**Best Friend**

When Bryce joined them, Peter and Neal had already had their heart to heart, so Peter asked Bryce about his friends.

"Chuck is my best friend." Bryce didn't have to think about who he was closest to.

"What is he like?" Peter urged him to continue.

"He is into computers like me, and is in my lessons group so we see each other all of the time. I think he's taller than me, and his hair is certainly longer, but it's hard to tell with all of the curls. They make funny animal shapes." Bryce laughed.

"Does he have a girlfriend?" Peter tried to see if it was a common thing, or if Neal was the exception.

Shaking his head, Bryce answered. "No, but he is 'married.' His is smart, maybe smarter than me, but he likes Sarah." He stuck his tongue out in a 'blech' expression to show his opinion of girls.

"Sara? I thought she was dating Neal." Peter tried to clarify.

"No, this Sarah has an h and is blonde. Neal is another one I don't understand... what is it about girls that makes them melt?" Bryce turned to Peter.

"That is a question that has been asked through the ages, Bryce. No one has a complete answer, but it seems to be something natural to us when we find the right person." Peter wasn't sure how to answer that one, so he dodged around the edges.

"Have you found someone who has that effect on you?" was Bryce's next question.

Neal glanced up to exchange a look with Peter. He already knew that answer.

"Yes." Peter's eyes automatically wondered in the general direction of where he had last seen Elizabeth. "I don't know where she went, but she should be around here somewhere."

Looking excited, Bryce liked that news. Apparently it was alright with him for Peter to wish to marry his mom, but not for his friends to be 'married.' Maybe the age difference made it all right? "Are you going to ask our mom?"

"Someday... soon." Peter kept his voice lower. "Would it be alright with you if I asked you for permission when I'm ready?"

Nodding enthusiastically, Bryce was excited. Then turning to Neal, he whispered. "He is going to ask, and sometime soon!"

They high fived to show their excitement at the prospect.

Laughing, Peter loved their enthusiasm. "I'll take that as resounding approval all around."

*******

**Group**

Getting Bryce and Neal to talk about the rest of their group, Peter learned a lot about them quickly.

"Chuck doesn't tend to come alone for our play dates." Bryce sulked. "He usually brings his older sister and his other best friend Morgan."

"Why don't you like his sister or his other friend? Are they married too?" Peter wondered.

Laughing, the twins thought that idea was hilarious.

"No, Morgan isn't married to Ellie." Bryce said.

"Although, I think Morgan wishes that were the case." Neal added. "Chuck is observant, and he has noticed a difference in how Morgan reacts when his sister is around."

"Ellie wouldn't have anything to do with Morgan, she is usually only tolerant of his presence because he is Chuck's friend, otherwise she would avoid him as much as possible." Bryce added.

"What is Morgan like? Why doesn't she like him?"

"Morgan... he is competitive, he always has to be Chuck's 'bestest best friend' and throws tantrums if he thinks he is being left out from the play." Bryce obviously wasn't enthused.

"He is gross." Neal made a face. "Morgan tries to follow Ellie around all of the time, and is obsessed with anything concerning her... I wouldn't be surprised if he still has that napkin she gave him once to clean up all of the food he had on his face."

Based on the descriptions, Peter wasn't too enthusiastic to meet the kid either, but the party wouldn't give him much choice.

"Ellie, what is she like?" They hadn't talked about her much, mostly her reaction to Morgan.

Shrugging, they weren't too enthusiastic about her either, but she seemed more acceptable to them.

"She's a girl. Ellie likes to make sure her hair is straight, wears jewelry and lip gloss, and she always suggests things like playing tea parties." Bryce wasn't thrilled, but at least she was less annoying.

"Hey, she does play some of our games. It just seems to depend on the day and the game. When she does play games like shooting with squirt guns, then she has the advantage of being bigger. Mostly, Ellie is the most girly of the group and the oldest, so she doesn't always enjoy playing with us. When she does come, it isn't uncommon for her to bring something else for her to do by herself." Neal didn't seem to mind her as much as his brother did.

Having learned the basics of them, Peter wondered if there was anyone else he should be expecting.

"Casey... John Alexander Casey as he first introduced himself." Neal was back to being more focused on his coloring while the chattering was a side thing to participate in from time to time.

"He isn't bad, but he is the least friendly of our group." Bryce paused for a moment as he finished one project and focused on the challenge of starting another. Then he picked it back up. "His family is from the military so he has spent his entire life moving around, never stayed anywhere long enough to complete a single school year. According to his parents, they are retired from the military now so he is going to have to get used to staying in one place. Until he does, he doesn't want to get close to anyone for fear of having to move again. If his parents didn't force him to behave with us, I think he would be a bit of a bully. The kid is older than us and likes to have his way, but all of his moving held him back so he is in our grade."

Concerned, Peter asked. "Did he ever push either of you around?"

"No, it's just something we can sense with him." Bryce said.

"I think it's his reaction to moving so much, to keep people from getting too close and hurting him, or maybe he was bullied at some school before." Neal glanced up at Peter with a shrug.

"Huh, do you know anything about their parents?" Peter wondered who he would be mingling with.

"Chuck's mom is a traveling business woman and his dad is a computer engineer so he is usually working on his projects. Like we said, Casey's parents' are retired military, and I think they went into some kind of security or something. Morgan's dad left when he was a kid, and I'm not sure what his mom is doing right now. Not too long ago she was laid off so maybe she is still looking." Bryce explained.

"My Sara's parents work in the city. Her mom is an accountant, and her father works insurance. Then Chuck's Sarah is harder to know. Jack only shows up from time to time and is always talking about business, so I think he is a traveling business man, her mom is divorced from him and doesn't seem to be in the picture much, so Sarah usually lives with her grandmother when she isn't traveling with her dad." Neal finished the basic summary of the parents.

"That doesn't sound like they would be too hard to get along with for one party." Peter theorized out loud.

"Oh, then you don't know all of these parents. It might not be too hard to get along with them once you know them, but they are a very odd bunch at first." Elizabeth answered from near the front door. She had slipped out to get more supplies, but hadn't wanted to interrupt the conversations of the boys. Unknowingly, she had missed some deep exchanges.

"Are they as bad as Mozzie?" Peter looked for comparison.

"No... they're mostly more normal than that. However, Jack and Stephen give him competition for paranoid caution. They are Sarah's dad and Chuck's dad." Elizabeth explained.

Sighing, Peter figured that he might as well get mentally prepared, because it sounded like it was going to be one of those afternoons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, reviewing, leaving kudos, following, and choosing to favorite :D


	24. Party

***********

**Cops and Robbers**

As the guest started to arrive, the kids split into two uneven groups.

Standing at the head, the birthday boys represented each side of the game. Neal stood as leader of the robbers, while Bryce was in charge of the cops.

"Cops!" Chuck called which team he was going to be on and Sarah automatically followed. They had arrived and were soon holding hands making their decisions together. Although they weren't constantly connected, it seemed to be something they naturally did when they were relaxed in between play.

Making his decisions, Morgan chose to follow Chuck as expected. "Cops."

Casey just grunted as he went to the side of the cops.

"Robbers!" Sara declared as she moved to hug Neal before standing next to him.

Ellie had decided to play, so she chose "Robbers" to help balance it out.

With the two teams chosen, they divided out to play and armed up with their weapons. Then as Peter counted rather loudly, they moved onto opposite sides of the lawns and readied for the game. When Peter reached the agreed number, the game was on.

Sneaking around, they tried to hide from the other team, while getting the advantage to shoot them.

Competing around and around, the kids would shoot their opponents at every opportunity. Then once someone was hit, they had to go over by the adults until the next round.

Shooting Morgan, Neal accidentally started a fight because Morgan was certain that Bryce was cheating to get rid of him.

Intervening as the deputy sheriff, Peter broke it up. "Hey, hey. I was watching and you are dead fair and square, Morgan. This is Neal, Bryce is over in the dead zone from where Neal took him out earlier."

"Are you sure, I thought you were talking to the other adults." Morgan questioned him.

Pulling out his real badge, Peter showed that he was an authority on such matters as cops and robbers. "I'm a real cop, so I'm trained to keep surveillance while pretending to be paying no attention."

"Cool, we have the FBI keeping an eye on us... this is a Federal game!" Morgan was over the previous issue and more interested in hero worshiping Peter.

Patting Neal on the shoulder, Peter directed for him to get back in the game while he led Morgan away.

***********

**Hide and Seek**

The twins seemed to have a fascination with police and criminals. It wasn't entirely surprising as such games had been played for years, but they also had personal influence for each side between their father and father figure being law enforcement while their babysitter was a con.

Once they tired of playing with weapons and having to keep reloading munitions, they decided to change the purpose of the game. Switching to hide and seek, the intent was to evade the police instead of fight them.

Keeping to their teams for convenience sake, they set the cops to count while the cons hid as best they could. With the large park area, it was faster to have many finders instead of only one.

Pulling Sara along with him, Neal moved so that the two were climbing up separate trees, but in ones right beside each other. Once they reached good spots in the branches, they each hid in a group of leaves that meant a seeker would see leaves instead of them and move on. Laughing as they waved to each other, they could hear the count ending and settled in for the long haul.

Ellie chose to remain on the lower ground and slid underneath a piece of equipment where the others would have to lean down and look just right to see her. She had prepared the spot earlier, but hoped that no one had noticed.

Starting to seek, the finders fanned out and began checking through any conceivable hiding space in their path.

Chuck took Sarah and they divided with one looking high and the other low. Morgan chose the space next to them, Casey went his own way, and Bryce went the opposite direction.

Meandering randomly around, they tried to be strategic, but they didn't succeed very well. Walking past Ellie, Morgan could smell her shampoo and focused on the area until he found her.

Not having counted on his creepy stalker familiarity with her, Ellie had to concede that she had lost the round. Brushing off, she went back over to the adults.

Continuing around the park, the kids made two rounds and were working their way through their third when Peter and Elizabeth went to see if they had found the other two yet.

Hearing negatives from each of the seekers, Peter and Elizabeth finished the round having them show where all they had looked.

Getting an idea, Peter walked off by himself and found two trees beside each other that had what looked like great hiding spots. Speaking loud enough for the hiders to hear him, but not so much that the rest would, Peter tried to verify his suspicion. "I think that perch there where the branches meet and another provides good cover would be a great hiding spot. Would Neal and Sara agree?"

Two soft yeses confirmed so he chuckled. "I won't give your spot away, but we are nearing time for snacks. If they haven't found you by the time we are serving food, I'll come get you so that your spots aren't ruined."

"Thank you." came back softly from each tree.

Meandering back to Elizabeth, Peter hid his trail from any observer and pulled her into a hug as she was getting worried. Whispering in her ear, he comforted her. "They're hiding in some really good spots. If they aren't found before the food is served, then I'll retrieve them to avoid giving their positions away."

Relaxing into his arms, Elizabeth was glad to know that they were alright and that Peter was watching over them. "Where were they?"

"Safe, but I promised not to give their spots away." Peter smiled before kissing her frowning expression. "I have to keep my word, unless it is more important to tell, and hiding spots aren't more important than my word."

"Fine. Just don't let them hide anywhere dangerous if you find them again." Elizabeth cheered up and kissed him. "And good description about keeping your word." Then she walked away to rejoin the adults.

Shaking his head, Peter enjoyed being in on the secret with Neal and his little girlfriend, but also liked that Elizabeth accepted his way of dealing with the kids.

***********

**Snack Time**

Wrangling the kids up, Elizabeth began to put the food out while Peter went to retrieve the winners from the hide and seek game.

Following her usual rules, she allowed the kids to have some junk foods that they liked, but she mostly provided healthy snacks. It taught them better habits to enjoy the good stuff, while also encouraging moderation on the not so great choices.

Veggie trays with dip, fruits and some dips, and things like crackers with cheese made the food easier to grab and not overly messy. The one main exception was the cheese balls. Bryce insisted on his favorite junk food so she allowed it for his birthday.

With the food ready and the line beginning to work their way through, Elizabeth was relieved to see Peter walking back into the group carrying Neal on one arm and Sara on his other. They seemed to be laughing and enjoying their conspiratorial looks around at the rest of the group.

When Peter moved to put the kids down, they each hugged him from their side while Sara kissed his cheek.

Continuing to watch, Elizabeth loved the expression on Peter's face as he seemed to melt for Sara. Where Neal was like a son to him, it looked like Sara might be taking on a daughterly role in her proclaimed relationship with Neal. It was good, because that would give Peter something of the experience of having a daughter. Sighing, that was something that Elizabeth might never experience, so she also enjoyed Sara's willingness to play future daughter-in-law. Whether or not it would actually happen decades down the road, Elizabeth still enjoyed the experiences of the moment.

While the kids joined the lineup for food, Elizabeth moved to get her share of Peter. Kissing him more romantically, she enjoyed her own melting power over him. "Sara seems to have a power over you." She commented.

"Nothing compared to your power, but as Neal's girlfriend... and just for the sweet little girl that she is... there is definitely an affect." Peter agreed. It was a new experience, so he didn't know how to describe it.

Leaning into his shoulder to cuddle while they watched the little ones moving to eat at the pick-nick table, they each reflected on what they saw.

"It's like watching a bunch of mini adults. A few are married, others are dating, one wishes to be dating, another is waiting for the right person, then there are the proclaimed bachelors who aren't particularly interested in relationships." Elizabeth observed. "They act more like high school or college students than kids."

Chuckling softly again, Peter wondered what it would be like when they actually reached that age. "I wonder what will happen when they do reach that age... would they be the same, or worse with the added hormones?"

Smacking him slightly on the chest, Elizabeth wasn't ready to move that quickly. "Don't rush time. I'm not even thinking about the boys as teenagers yet... that is going to take a lot of work."

Kissing the top of her head, Peter wanted to reassure her. "It won't be as much work because you won't be alone, I'll be here to help you."

Closing her eyes for a moment, Elizabeth relished in that promise as she had her arms around the man she loved with her head nestled into his neck and shoulder. "I'll hold you to that."

Rumbling happily, Peter was sure of her answer when he was ready. It was only a matter of planning and choosing when he wanted to take each step.

*******

**Eating**

Sitting at the table, the kids were arranged based on who they liked best.

Chuck was between Sarah and Morgan, because Morgan wouldn't sit next to anyone else. Casey was on the other side of Sarah and acrossed from Neal. Then Neal was seated between Sara and Bryce, while Bryce was acrossed from Chuck. Being the eldest, Ellie chose the end of the table between the kids and adults while being next to Sara.

Enjoying the general food, most were satisfied by the choices that Elizabeth had provided. It was normal snack food for the twins and the rest generally enjoyed the healthy choices with the dips to provide extra flavor.

Morgan was the exception. He had tried to heap cheese balls until they were falling off of his plate.

Noticing his efforts, Elizabeth chided him to only take a portion so that everyone else would have the chance to eat some if they wanted. Then she tried to get him to see the puffy balls of processed food as being the unhealthy choice and therefore the less desirable option.

Showing his displeasure, Morgan was stuck. He wanted to keep on the good side of the adults so that he could get ice cream and cake later, but he didn't want to eat the vegetables despite the addition of dip.

Backing Elizabeth up though, his mother stepped in to force Morgan to put the majority of his collection back and grab some varied snacks from the rest of the table.

Considering it a win to get the junk food prone kid to eat better choices, both women ignored his excessive amount of dip to make the foods more palatable.

Sitting around the other tables, the adults had mostly been enduring their way through the afternoon.

They had generally chatted about their children, local interests, and whatever random topic they could find to discuss. The food wasn't a problem for them, it was the eclectic mix of backgrounds trying to find common ground.

Feeling the most out of place, Peter found himself the awkward new guy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading, commenting/reviewing, leaving kudos, following, and choosing to favorite :D


	25. Play

***********

**Adults**

Hanging out with the adults, Peter watched them and tried to find where he would best fit in.

Casey's parents seemed to be keeping alert eyes on the surroundings to ensure it was safe for the kids. Otherwise, they were pleasant and found a way to participate in nearly every conversation. They were a couple that was easy enough to be friendly with.

Choosing his conversation wisely, Peter had plenty of experience with former military, as it wasn't uncommon for them to join law enforcement after leaving the service, so he discussed security. They shared some basic concepts of what they did with their work while he talked about his experiences from the FBI perspective. It was a comfortable conversation, so Peter knew he could get along with them just fine.

Sara's parents weren't too bad either. They were generally accepted in the group because they worked common careers with good positions at their jobs. The couple was perceived as safely boring when they started talking numbers as most of the others weren't interested in the advanced mathematics.

Having a background in accounting and advanced math courses, Peter found his primary people in them. Joining into a conversation, he was able to indulge in one of his passions while speaking the same language they did.

Morgan's mom was interested in her son and the conversations about the kids. Otherwise, she usually kept most of her personal life to herself while participating in the general discussions.

Approaching her wasn't as easy, but Peter found it was simple to talk to her about the kids. She focused on Morgan, while he either kept a general perspective or focused on the twins.

Watching Jack Burton, Peter could sense another con artist in the mix. Rolling his eyes subtly to himself, he wondered how many he would have to deal with in this group, but with a sigh, he knew what he gained out of it was worth it.

Approaching the nervously observant man, Peter tried to play civilian to avoid spooking him. It turned out, the reason Jack was nervous was because he already knew Peter's profession. Extending the same agreement that he had with Mozzie, Peter promised not to actively pursue him as long as he didn't do anything in front of him, endanger any of the people there, and only would under the circumstances of him officially crossing his desk. Not feeling comfortable, but at least not running either, Jack seemed to be dealing with that.

Observing the most challenging couple of the group, Peter watched how the Bartowski's interacted with each other and the rest of the parents. Stephen seemed to be more content to sit off to the side with some kind of portable computer item that he was messing with, or he preferred to be where he could keep a safe eye on his surroundings. Competing with the Casey's, he was keenly aware of everything going on around him with a trained appearance. Mary was also sporting the observant habits like law enforcement, but she was more the public face of the two as she socialized with the other parents.

Sneaking into a seat next to Stephen, Peter chose to try and get to know the party's recluse. Introducing himself, he commented mostly about the kids and the general events of the party. His gut said these were government people, but not public agents, more like spies, so he played dumb with them and kept it general so he wouldn't spook the spooks.

Taking the seat on his other side, Mary physically had him trapped in between them. Conversing between them, the couple tested him with various questions and answers to see how he reacted. When he passed their tests, they decided to entrust him with the idea.

"You have a growing legend about your gut instinct in the field. It's best to follow it, but some areas aren't good for a new White Collar agent to get into." Mary warned.

"What I suspect to be espionage with possible Black Ops certainly isn't a field for me. I only ask the same thing as I do of the cons, something that already appears to be a priority. And that is for nothing to be brought in to endanger any of the kids." Looking pointedly at his boys, Peter reinforced what little trust they were placing in him. "They may not be mine biologically, but those twins are special."

Agreeing, the Bartowskis had already taken major steps to do just as he requested. With the places known and grounds tested, they split up and resumed the rest of the party like they hadn't just acknowledged secret government roles.

******* 

**Retrieval**

Making up a game of their own, the group combined tag, hide and seek, and cops and robbers. Sara presented a picture that she was going to 'hang' in her 'house.' Then Neal was supposed to find a way of stealing the picture before evading the pursuing cops.

This round they divided into teams based on which side they wanted to play or which group they wanted to be affiliated with.

Casey was rather predictable as he chose the military associated NSA. Chuck chose the CIA which meant that Morgan and Sarah followed him. Bryce had always had a fascination with the CIA so he also selected the agency. Sara wanted to follow into insurance like her father, but more retrieval as it sounded adventurous, which made her the victim and then pursuer. Ellie had settled down to play by herself so she was nominated as the doctor to 'heal' any one that was shot throughout the game. Neal was left to play criminal alone.

To begin the game, Sara sat the picture in a bush positioned as if it was on a wall.

Then performing as the master thief, Neal stalked around while she pretended to be doing mundane things around her house. He pretended to glance in windows through binoculars, appeared at her door like a salesman to get an inside view of her house, and he sketched out a map of what they discussed her home layout to be. Once she pretended to go to sleep, he slipped in through the window, removed the picture, and then quietly went back out the same way.

Stretching to signify waking up, Sara went about her morning routine and pretended not to noticed, but then ducking back in for her keys she realized that her picture was gone. Dialing her hand, she called the police and her office to report the theft.

Meeting with the various law enforcement personnel, they discussed strategy and divided out to look for Neal and the picture.

Casey got too close, so Neal spurted out unarmed and raced away to out distance him on his way to a new hiding spot.

Sara suspected that Neal might have used their hiding spots at one point, but she didn't want to reveal them, so she passed by the location pretending to have thoroughly searched for him.

Chuck went through the park strategically trying to search all of the hardest to find hiding places he could think of in an effort to flush Neal out. Morgan and Sarah flanked him to catch Neal should he be found or come out of hiding.

Bryce tried to think like his brother, but none of his theories panned out.

After a while, they all headed over to the adult's area to ask if anyone had seen Neal, because he was playing the thief and no one could find him.

Heading out to find him again, Peter went alone to avoid giving up the hiding spot. Checking the tree first, he was surprised to find that Neal wasn't hiding there. Moving around the park, he checked the hiding spots he had learned about in the earlier rounds of hide and go seek, but continued to come up empty.

Returning to the adult's area to think, he was asked to retrieve supplies from beneath one of the tables, the one that had a table cloth draped over it to the ground.

Leaning down, he flipped the material up only to discover a startled Neal coloring on another piece of paper while he waited for the game to end or when he was ready to move to a new place.

Grinning, Peter slid his finger along his nose at Neal who returned the gesture. Pointing to what he was after, Peter accepted it from Neal and continued like he hadn't been having a silent conversation.

With his errand complete, Peter ran decoy out into the park again and checked through several of the places so the kids wouldn't know where he had found Neal.

Coming back, he said Neal had picked a very clever location and the kids would have to find him themselves, as it wasn't fair to have the adults help.

Sulking off into the park to start over again, they trooped out and struggled to come up with a new theory.

Meanwhile back with the adults, Elizabeth kissed Peter. "It's getting to be so that you're the only one who can find him."

Kissing her in return, Peter commented. "He thinks like a cop, but is also brilliant at thinking like a criminal. Somehow, he remains creatively within the lines."

"Meaning..." Elizabeth was curious what that was about.

"His hiding spot is within the known parameters, but because the rest of them are unconsciously marking it as off limits, he is successful." Peter smiled proudly. There was nothing saying they couldn't hide around the adults, it just wasn't expected and was therefore ignored.

Glancing around, Elizabeth wondered if Neal could be somewhere around the adults or the cars parked in the lot behind them. It would have been easy for Neal to grab her keys from her purse and she was so used to them grabbing things she wouldn't have thought twice about it.

"Huh, well that little booger is getting to be rather clever. They are a challenge to keep up with sometimes." She smiled as she laughed softly despite still not knowing where he was hiding.

*******

**Tea Time**

Elizabeth declared a truce for them to play another game.

Trooping back in again, the kids were frustrated because it was the second time Neal had evaded them for the day. He was proving to be rather challenging to find which was getting to be less fun for the other kids.

Ellie wanted to have a tea party, and considering that they were taking turns on who chose what to play, it was time for her to pick. The others weren't fond of her choice, but were forced to participate.

Chuck was one of the less irritated by the girly game, it was calmer and he was used to being drug into his sister's choices of play.

Sara and Sarah were girly enough to enjoy playing some, but they also enjoyed the rougher games with the boys, especially if they were playing with their particular friends.

The other boys weren't so fond of playing tea and could only be persuaded to be fair with the temptation of treats.

When Neal came sauntering in to join the fun, he was met with questions as to where he had been and Morgan's suggestion that he was cheating.

"Now, now, kids. I found him, remember? He was playing within the rules." Peter solved the trouble again by performing as mediator.

Settling down, the kids were taking their places with various reactions, and then Neal grabbed Peter's hand.

"You play the waiter, Peter. Think of it as an undercover role, and we are the people you are trying to observe in the hopes that we would slip and confess or something?" He looked too eager to have Peter join for him to be able to resist.

"Is that alright with everyone else?" Peter asked the group.

Unanimously, they were alright with him playing. Either the girls liked his awkward and dorky ways of trying to handle talking to them, which made them giggle, or the boys liked the idea of playing villains and evading his real detective skills.

Slowly growing more accustomed to the new group of kids, Peter shifted his outfit like he was going undercover, Stephen helpfully provided him with some techy stuff to imitate his office gear, and then he focused his appearance and approach to be a civilian waiter.

With a towel draped over his arm, he approached the table and imitated a poor French accent to ask for their orders. Then based off of their requests, he retrieved the small snack servings and drinks to distribute them amongst the kids.

In an effort to be good enough to pass muster, he would get most of the orders right and served well, but a few he would 'accidently' have trouble with.

Neal got a slight bath as his cup of water happened to spill onto his leg. Then Sara's and Sarah's meals were backwards. Peter uttered apologies to Neal before complimenting the girls by saying they were each so beautiful they must have confused him.

Giggling or rolling their eyes, the kids loved his performance.

Loving the sight, Elizabeth once again enjoyed the experience for what it might have been like if she had a daughter. It was also an endearing sight to see Peter interacting with the kids so well. He wasn't good at flirting in seriousness, but he wasn't too bad when being goofy for the little girls. His dorky behavior was amusing and sweet all at the same time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, commenting/reviewing, and leaving kudos :D


	26. Challenge

***********

**Bickering**

After the tea party dissolved, some of the kids chose to color while others chose their own pursuits of entertainment around the table. They had spent most of the day running and playing with only a few brief snack breaks to tide them through until the evening. Feeling a need for a rest, none of them were too eager to begin running around again.

Stuck in a space close together and starting to get tired as the evening was coming on, Morgan and Bryce started bickering.

Morgan started up his favorite argument that he was Chuck's 'bestest friend' and tried to make Bryce appear as insignificant as he could.

Starting into a list, Morgan had a long history with Chuck to recount. "He was my friend first because I have lived down the street from Chuck for as long as I can remember, you only moved here almost four years ago."

"So, we go to class together, have our lesson on Saturday, and also have play time where we go to each other's houses or meet at the park. I see him more than you do and we are both interested in the same computer skills and games." Bryce returned his defense for why he wasn't to be overlooked.

"When has he protected you after a girl depantsed you in school? How many times has he rescued you from the bullies? Exactly, he doesn't care about you as much as he does me!" Morgan had a point that Chuck came to his defense often, but a skewed belief in the reasoning.

"I don't get into trouble with bullies or girls to need rescued. That doesn't mean he is closer to one of us or the other. Just that you get into more trouble than I do." Bryce was correct in his defense, but antagonistic in his delivery.

Morgan thought he was making a good argument. "I'm the better friend, and there is nothing you can say to change that."

Rearing back mentally to strike, Bryce was stopped in his tracks by Peter's rumbling behind him.

"Boys..." Peter's authoritative voice caused all of them to straighten up, but the ones that particularly reacted were the fighting duo. "No fighting. You are both his best friends, but so is Sarah. Remember that."

Not happy to be reminded that he not only had one, but two, competitors for Chuck's attention, Morgan crossed his arms in a pout.

Bryce knew Sarah was also in the group, and although he didn't understand Chuck's interest in her, he also knew that she was his girlfriend and ran in a different line than best male friend.

"Why don't you all go back out and play? We'll be having the cake here in a little bit before it's time to go home for the night." Elizabeth encouraged them because they were less likely to fight if they spread out or had something else to distract them.

***********

**Fort**

Retreating back out onto the lawns, the kids went to their fort, a large pine tree with branches draping down until they swept the ground. Dodging in through a gap, the kids were able to sit with the branches forming a ceiling and walls around while the needles formed a rough floor beneath them. Elizabeth had given them a cloth to sit on for a cushion against the pine needles and to help avoid getting their clothes covered in sap.

The twins had wanted to take Satchmo out with them, but he had spent most of his afternoon remaining close to the adults on his leash and under supervision so that he didn't get into trouble. With so many games and going in so many directions, the kids hadn't paid enough attention to be allowed to take him out.

Away from adult supervision, Morgan poked Bryce with a last means of attack. "My focus in on supporting Chuck, not on spending so much time with other people."

"Neal is my brother, I'm supposed to spend time with him." Bryce didn't like the attack on his family.

Having had more than enough, Chuck stepped in. "Come on you guys. Like Peter said, you're both my best friends. Stop trying to one up each other, and that goes for you too Morgan." He made sure to specify Morgan as his older friend was acting like he was just reprimanding Bryce. "I don't like it when our group fights amongst ourselves."

Forced to give way to his friend, Morgan wanted to whine at Chuck, but could see that he wasn't in the mood. Changing the direction of his whining, he instead started talking about how he wanted more Cheese Balls.

Still in a sour mood from the attack on his family, Bryce wanted some of the snack, but wasn't sure if he wanted to associate with Morgan to get it.

***********

**Dare**

As the numbers in favor of eating more Cheese Balls grew, they faced the challenge of how to get them.

Normally, Elizabeth kept them on top of the fridge so it wasn't hard to access them when she wasn't looking. It just took a chair, standing on the counter, and then a careful climb onto her step stool to reach. A feat that would earn major discipline if caught, but no one had been seen at it yet.

Occasionally, Mozzie would sneak them the treat, but he wasn't around... was he?

Looking around the park, Bryce knew that the babysitter was expected to arrive in time for the cake and ice cream so that he could be present for their party. June would have brought her granddaughter, but they were on a prearranged family trip and unable to attend.

Seeing his taxi pull up, Bryce knew that they would have an ally, it was just the matter of coming up with a plan.

Conspiring with Chuck, and therefore Morgan, they produced the best plan that they could come up with. Then turning to the rest of the group, they revealed their master piece.

Laughing, Neal wasn't impressed. "I can do better than that with my hand tied behind my back."

"Alright then, I dare you to not only come up with a better plan, but to execute it with one hand tied behind your back." Morgan challenged.

"Why would I risk getting into trouble for those disgusting things? They coat my fingers in orange fuzz and aren't made with real cheese." Neal scrunched up in distaste.

"Because, I dared you. Are you a chicken, Neal?" Morgan taunted.

Torn, Bryce wanted his snack, but he didn't like Morgan being mean to his brother.

Making the decision for them, Neal chose to answer the dare. "Fine, I'll get your stupid snack. I don't even need your help to do it either." Neal got up and walked out of the fort.

Behind him, both Bryce and Sara glared at Morgan in Neal's defense.

"What? He's getting the food for us isn't he?" Morgan defended himself.

***********

**Scheme**

Running to catch Mozzie, Neal waved to him so Mozzie paused to see what he wanted. Conversing, they tweaked his plan and Mozzie was eager to help.

Heading back out into the park, Neal pretended to have finished his business and gone back to the other kids.

Although he did revisit the fort for the other boys to tie his hand behind his back, he was soon back out and up to his ploy.

Sneaking back to the group of trees nearest to the tables, Neal knew exactly where the 'contraband' was located as he had managed to hide beneath the table next to it earlier.

When Mozzie approached Peter and Elizabeth to keep them distracted while being funny enough with his stories to engage most of the other parents, Neal had a clear path.

Unable to army crawl, he had to crouch and walk quickly to avoid anyone seeing him in the open space between the trees and the table. Then he slipped under the table and retrieved the container. Pausing, he waited a moment while he heard the laughter to ensure that he hadn't been noticed.

With his prize tucked under his free arm, he crouched down and hurried back to the trees.

Taking another pause, he looked back through the branches to see that no adult was looking in his direction. Satchmo had probably seen him from his perch, but he had been played with enough that he was yawning lazily and couldn't talk anyway.

Relieved, Neal flashed a light at Mozzie and ran back to the fort.

***********

**Booty**

Those who were interested in the Cheese Balls divided the spoils and enjoyed eating them.

Neal told them the story of how he had managed to pull his caper off, and the others were interested in how successful it had been.

"It wasn't hard. All I had to do was have Mozzie distract the adults with comical stories from his taxi driving and then sneak under the table and back." Neal shrugged.

"And it worked?" Was the resounding reaction.

Grinning deviously, Neal explained. "Simple plans are often the best. If you want to create a plan, come up with plan G, the messiest, simplest, and guaranteed to succeed plan. Then dress it up in various ways to create plans A through F."

After a while though, the rebels who had eaten found themselves with a new problem... they were coated with orange fuzz.

Popping in, Mozzie scared them. "I think some kids need some water and a rag to remove all of the orange fuzz from your hands and faces. Otherwise, you'll be easy to catch for your mom... not to mention the suit."

"Suit?" Morgan asked.

"He means Peter, because he is Fed and wears a suit." Bryce explained. "Spies are spooks, FBI are suits, and police have several varied nicknames."

"Oh." Morgan understood that, but still questioned why Mozzie was helping them. "Why is he helping us though, won't he turn us in to our moms?"

"No, Mozzie isn't like that. If we did something bad, then he would consider it, but something like this, he finds it fun to try and succeed at the challenge." Neal explained. He was the closest to Mozzie and understood his love of the challenge best.

"Exactly, besides, I'm not a snitch. Here, take the bottles and wash off over there." He pointed to the other side of the tree area. It was still sheltered from the rest of the adults seeing, and it kept the cloth cleaner.

When they had cleaned up, Mozzie stuck the empty bottles into the tub and set it aside. "Alright, now turn around Bryce." Declaring him clean, he sent him out to play. Moving through each kid, he declared each one clean of orange and set them out. Once they were all clean and sent away, he made sure there was no remaining residue left on the cloth and slipped away to dispose of the trash.

Meeting on the playground while their fort was occupied, the kids talked.

"Mozzie is my hero! He not only helped, but he is cleaning up so that we don't have to worry about it." Morgan decided that he really liked Mozzie.

***********

**Ending**

Collecting the kids together for the last part of the evening, Peter lit the candles while Elizabeth made sure everything was just right.

Blowing out their candles, the twins made their wishes before they all settled down to eat for the last time of the evening.

As the group finished, various parents began to collect their children and their things to get home in time for bed.

With the group generally gone, Peter and Mozzie helped to pack things up into the car. Then Mozzie offered to help unload on the other end, but Elizabeth figured that she and Peter could handle it easily enough.

Bidding them goodnight, Mozzie headed home.

Driving the two cars, Peter and Elizabeth met at the apartment building before working to unload the twins. They were practically asleep so the adults each carried one.

As they headed up, Elizabeth commented that she had been certain there were left over Cheese Balls.

"It wasn't a full tub to begin with, none of them were allowed to indulge in them, and I was certain that nearly a quarter of it had still been full. That's bothering me, because the tub wasn't under the table when we loaded up."

Thinking for a moment, Peter ran through the day and the evidence that he had seen. "I think I can explain an idea of what happened."

At Elizabeth's instruction to share, Peter outlined his theory. "I'm thinking Morgan, Bryce, and Chuck decided they wanted to eat more of them. Neal enjoys a good challenge, and he had hid beneath the table for at least one round of the games so he knew how to sneak in unnoticed to retrieve them. Mozzie was particularly talkative when he arrived, even to me, and he engaged everyone with his stories. I saw him with Neal prior to that conversation, and a light shined in our direction before he finished talking. Finally, Bryce, Chuck and Morgan weren't as hungry so they didn't eat as much cake as the rest of the kids."

"You're so smart." Elizabeth kissed him. "That may not be exactly what happened, but I think you have the right idea. The boys have a tendency for sneaking extra portions when Chuck and Morgan are over. I don't know how they get them down from above the fridge, because I haven't caught them yet, but I've learned to keep a better eye on the levels. Which reminds me, Mozzie also sneaks it to them when he babysits."

"I think the twins learned their smarts from their mom." Peter kissed her before they reached the apartment.

Tucking the boys in, they worked to haul the things up before Peter headed home for the night as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading, reviewing, and leaving kudos :D  
> For fans of Leverage, you might recognize Nate's planning technique with the plan G stuff. (Neal should stay away from plan M though, because that doesn't seem to bode well for the geeks based on Hardison's example ;)


	27. Relationship

*******

**Witness**

Elizabeth was in the downtown of the city as she was on an errand for work. Walking along the street, she thought that she had seen a familiar person, so she paused to look through the masses in search of them.

Looking around, she realized that she had caught Peter in her peripheral without even realizing it at first.

As Elizabeth watched him walking down the sidewalk, she noticed that a woman was on his other side and not easily viewed. Continuing to watch, she saw the woman whisper something in his ear and before taking his hand romantically. They continued walking past a few buildings with her keeping close to him. Then they stopped to stand intimately while she kissed his cheek and took a selfie.

With tears welling up in her eyes, Elizabeth felt like she had been stabbed in the heart and the knife twisted cruelly. Unable to help herself though, she continued to watch.

Peter and his mysterious blonde lady friend walked on down to the corner where they turned into a hotel. It was rather nice, but it could have been her place.

Beginning to feel angry, Elizabeth was soon seething in fury and forced herself to continue on down the street to complete her own errand.

*******

**Cancelation**

Working through the rest of the day, Elizabeth spent most of it mentally giving Peter an earful.

As closing time came around though, she decided she really should cancel her date with him that evening. In her mood and with his behavior, nothing was going to go well with it.

Dialing his phone number, Elizabeth waited while the line rang until his voicemail picked up. Mentally seeing him with the woman on the street, she imagined he was still with the other woman. Leaving a message, her voice had an angry and hurt undertone that she couldn't help but allow to slip into her words. The reason for the cancelation didn't matter because her obvious emotions would negate it anyway.

Although she knew she would need to talk to Peter, she was too emotional to deal with it or even think about why he would be with another woman. If she had been thinking clearly, she might have figured that he was undercover, but it never even crossed her mind.

*******

**Confusion**

Peter finished his field work for the operation and was able to return to the office for the paperwork aspect. Finally, he was able to check his phone, and he noticed Elizabeth had called and left a voicemail.

Feeling excited, he hoped she was looking forward to their date as much as he was, and he also worried that something might have come up to interfere with their plans.

Listening, it was worse than anything he could have expected. She was canceling, and her work excuse was completely negated by the overwhelming emotions of angry hurt that he could hear. Staring at his phone, Peter tried to understand what could have happened for her to be so angry with him, or what he had done to hurt her. Starting it over again, he listened more carefully the second time, but still didn't understand what might have been the cause.

Finishing up his work for the day, Peter hurried over to her apartment in the hopes she would talk to him, explain what was wrong.

Knocking on the door, he heard Elizabeth slip up and see that it was him. She had answered the door to let him in many times; he knew the sounds indicating that she was on the other side of it. What hurt, was when she said for him to go home, that she was going to bed early. He was being rejected, and didn't have a clue why.

Again, he knocked asking for her to at least explain what he had done wrong. A mistake based on how he heard her bedroom door slam shut on the far side of the house. Muffled cries could be heard even from where he stood.

Then, to make his evening even more miserable, the twins ganged up to open the door. It was Peter so safe enough to talk to his face, but not to welcome him in as their mom was upset with him for some reason.

Swinging back the door once they had managed to remove the bolt and unlock it, the twins stood looking at him with two teary eyed and betrayed expressions.

"Mommy said that you two weren't going on your date tonight... because of something you did." Bryce looked upset.

"How could you? Mom has been muttering something about you with another woman." Neal looked heart broken.

Before Peter could defend himself, the twins told him to leave and closed the door.

Standing in the hallway, Peter's eyes were shining with the unshed tears. Then it hit him like a punch in the gut what had upset them so much. Feeling weak in the knees, he sat down and leaned against the wall a little way from their door. Quietly letting the tears run down his face, he felt for how stupid he had been to not forewarn Elizabeth that he was going to be undercover with a fake girlfriend. If she had seen them, especially when they walked into a hotel, it would have created a very bad picture.

When one of the neighbors started to get nosy, Peter figured he had better pick himself up and head home before she made a scene. Hoping for another chance, he would have to wait until the operation had finished the next day.

*******

**News**

The next evening, Elizabeth was moping around the apartment after the twins had gone to bed. She was still running high on emotions and couldn't settle down.

Hearing a knock at the door, she expected Peter to be back again after his shift, but was concerned to see two people at her door and the visible one was serious. Recognizing him as agent Jones from Peter's team, she suddenly feared the worst.

Yanking the door open as quickly as possible, she realized that the woman with Jones was the same one she had seen on the street with Peter the day before, his mysterious girlfriend. Blonde hair, suite worn open, and a confident pose that appeared marred by bad news.

It suddenly began to dawn on Elizabeth that she had probably misjudged Peter unjustly, and that he had probably been undercover, not cheating on her.

"What happened to Peter?" She needed to know immediately.

Clearing his throat, Jones led the conversation because he had at least met Elizabeth before. "The operation went bad when there were more players than our information had previously indicated." Seeing that Elizabeth was about to lose it, he jumped to tell her "Peter is alive."

With that out, the other agent jumped into the conversation, because she had been in the field with him. "I'm sorry Mrs. Rivers. We were undercover when another group came in and held us at gun point before tying us to some chairs. Then a third and rival group moved in. While they were all fighting, one of them decided to take us out of play and shot Peter before our backup could arrive. It was close, but they rescued us just after the shot was fired, so I was saved before getting shot as well."

Still feeling terrified, Elizabeth needed to know what kind of shape Peter was in.

Looking back and forth between each other, neither one of the agents wanted to be the one to tell, but they had no choice. The more they delayed, the more Elizabeth sensed that it was bad.

Taking the lead, Jones told her. "Peter was shot in the chest... the doctors say he is in a coma, they don't know if he will wake up or not."

Moving to support her, the two agents caught Elizabeth and walked her over to the couch where they let her work through her initial deluge of emotions.

Once she had settled down, she brought out the sleepy twins and Jones carried them while the other agent walked Elizabeth to the car. Taking her keys, the agent insisted on driving while Elizabeth was too emotional. Jones took their official car and met them at the hospital.

*******

**Faithfulness**

Arriving at the hospital, Elizabeth was led to Peter's room while the agents continued to help her with the twins. Reaching his door, Elizabeth was upset to find that Peter was in the ICU.

Crying again, she took the seat next to his bed and held his hand for support, to know that he was still alive.

Despite being sleepy, the twins knew something was wrong with Peter. Not realizing the extent of the damage, they simply climbed up onto the bed and curled up into his side. With each head laid against his abdomen, they curled their fists next to their faces and fell back asleep.

As she cried, Elizabeth apologized to him repeatedly until she fell asleep holding his hand.

She had doubted him, and she might be forced to live with that regret for the rest of her life.

Later, when a nurse entered the room to send them all home, she decided against it when she saw Peter's improved condition. His statistics were looking better, and he should be waking up from the coma before the morning if he kept improving at his rate.

*******

**Improvement**

The next morning, Elizabeth was startled to realize that Peter seemed to be a little restless. Forgetting that he was supposed to be in a coma, she looked to his face and saw tear marks running down the side of his cheeks.

Realizing that he was hurting, she moved closer to his face only to notice that he seemed to be mumbling her name. Even in his condition, he was still hurting over her behavior.

Kissing him softly on the lips, Elizabeth smiled as she realized that the machines registered his reaction. "You liked that didn't you? Well, you have to get better before we can indulge in that too much." Then she moved over to his ear and continued to whisper to him. "I'm so sorry, Peter. Even if it was only for a day, I doubted you, and I can't ever express to you how sorry I am. You're hurting, and it's all my fault... but when you wake up, we're here. The twins have been sleeping next to you and I haven't left your side all night. We have one of the most faithful men I have ever met to care for, and we aren't going anywhere, so come back to us Peter." Then she kissed his forehead before running her fingers through his hair comfortingly.

Whether it was her touch, her scent as her hair brushed his face, or her words, the watching nurse would never know, but she had witnessed the drop in Peter's numbers as he woke up enough to feel his emotional pain, and she had seen his numbers rise to a stable positon from what Elizabeth did. Like the nurse before her, she chose to leave the family with the patient as they were doing more good than the medicine.

*******

**Parents**

Later in the morning, Peter was still unconscious so Elizabeth chose to slip away to the bathroom to freshen up for the day.

Coming back out, she was surprised to see an older couple standing awkwardly in the room as they tried to figure out who the kids were and what they were doing sleeping next to Peter.

"Hi, I'm Elizabeth Rivers, and you are?" Elizabeth asked. When they turned around, she could see the family lines. "Peter's parents?"

"Yes, you're his girlfriend, aren't you?" His mother asked.

"Are these those boys he is always talking about?" His father gestured to the children.

Grinning at her sons, Elizabeth answered them. "Yes to both. The twins' father was a police officer killed in the line of duty before they can remember, so although they more asleep than awake, they know something is wrong with Peter. In response, they simply crawled up next to him and haven't budged all night. It's the most still they have ever been, but even in sleep they know to be careful." The tears were shining in her eyes again. She had talked to the nursing staff, and they said that between her and the boys, their presence seemed to have brought Peter back.

"What happened, we were called in the middle of the night to be told that our boy had been shot, that he was in a coma and probably wouldn't make it until morning?" His parents were relieved, but confused.

"I don't know, but the staff seems to theorize that we're the reason." Elizabeth shrugged. "I got two agents on my doorstep last night and the same news, then this morning a nurse woke me up to eat some breakfast and told me Peter was better, had woken up from the coma, and is simply unconscious while he continues to recover."

Whether it was this woman, her children, medicine, or something else, the Burkes were just happy to learn their boy wasn't as bad as he had been, and that he was recovering.

Choosing to settle in, they started talking and began the process of getting to know each other.

When they woke up, the twins observed them for a bit and asked questions about Peter, but once they were comfortable, they wrapped the Burkes around their little fingers by sitting in their laps and chattering at them.

Having never experienced grandchildren before, and knowing that these were likely to become theirs in the coming future, the Burkes paid careful attention to all that the twins had to say and exerted an effort to get to know their mother in the anticipation of becoming family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading, commenting/reviewing, leaving kudos, and choosing to favorite my stories and I :D


	28. Recovery

***********

**Home**

Once Peter was well enough to leave the hospital, Elizabeth insisted on him staying at the apartment with them again. His parents had gone home and Peter's apartment was empty, so there wasn't any viable reason to refuse.

Safely installed on the couch, Peter was still loopy on prescription pain medication so he wasn't doing much other than sleep and the necessary basics.

Playing on the floor, the twins remained as close to him as they could. Once they had understood the general details that Peter had been badly hurt, unresponsive, and almost died, they refused to be separated from him any more than necessary.

Watching over her boys again, Elizabeth was grateful that she still had the chance to apologize to Peter.

She knew that she had hurt him, not the full extent, but enough to have made him cry while unconscious.

Shivering, she fought to hold back her own tears at how close it had been, how close she had come to going through that meeting a second time. Loving anyone always made it possible, but law enforcement increased the odds, especially men that believed in their jobs and were willing to give their lives for others.

It seemed she had a type. Of all of the boyfriends that she had gone out with between Ethan's death and meeting Peter, none of them had been law enforcement, and none of them had created a pride or spark in her like her law men.

Finding her smile through her tears, she seemed to be destined to be one of those wives, balancing the knowledge that they were doing the job they loved, and the knowledge that they had higher odds than most occupations for getting killed. It was worrying, but worth it for those nights that they did make it and were able to enjoy the pleasures in life be it a date with their girlfriend, or going home to their wife and kids.

*******

**Awake**

When the pain medications were finally being reduced because Peter was progressing in his recovery, Elizabeth knew that their talk was coming. With him more conscious and in her home, it was inevitable to come at some point.

Waiting until he was ready, Elizabeth tried to keep things normal, like the previous time he had been in her home injured.

In the process of nursing him, Elizabeth had a tray for his medications and foods along with any other basic necessity that might be needed for the time of day or status of his condition.

Setting it down on the coffee table, Elizabeth chose to wake him up his favorite way, by kissing him gently. Seeing his eyes open slowly, she felt a sudden loss that she hadn't contemplated before with him so unfocused.

"What? You look like something is wrong." Peter asked as he took in her expression.

"Nothing is wrong. I was just thinking about something I actually miss from the hospital." Elizabeth smiled lightly.

Frowning, Peter had no idea what that could be.

"This." Elizabeth leaned forward and kissed him again, before leaning back a little to smile at him. "At the hospital, I could kiss you, or touch you, and then listen to your pulse monitor react."

Blushing a little as he smiled, Peter was slightly embarrassed to have her listening to just how much she had an effect on him, but glad to know she knew he was attracted to her and aware of her presence even in his drugged stupor. "I guess there is no hiding how much I love you, is there?" He teased.

Looking abashed, Elizabeth glanced away from him as that primarily brought the memory of her doubting him, but also the ways he had proven his love. "There never was. You have always been honest in your interest in me, even when you didn't know how to show it."

Reaching up to turn her chin back towards him, Peter had a questioning expression. "There is more than that though, what's been bothering you? It took me a while to notice, but you've been giving me side glances for a while now."

Taking his hand and holding it for comfort and a distraction, Elizabeth started to carefully tell him what was wrong, why she had been so upset before the operation went badly putting him in the hospital. "I don't know if you remember, but I can't forget it." She hung her head in shame.

Thinking, it took Peter a few moments for his mind to focus back before everything had happened, to his pain and misery before being shot. Breathing deeper suddenly, he remembered just how much her doubt had hurt him, and how he had hurt her with his supposed betrayal. "I'm so sorry Elizabeth, I should have told you..."

Pressing a finger to his lips, Elizabeth silenced him. "Peter, I was the idiot who doubted you. You were doing your job. I'm the one who should be asking for forgiveness, but I don't know how to convey just how sorry I am for what I did to you. Even coming out of the coma you were crying over it." She collapsed into his side to avoid hurting his still healing chest.

Wrapping his better arm around to hold her, Peter used his other had to gently touch her head. It was weak and not as comforting as he would have liked, but with the muscles still healing it couldn't be helped.

Regaining some of her composure, Elizabeth sat back up to where she could see Peter's face, but had to clear the tears away first. When she could finally see him, she noticed that his eyes were shiny with tears too. Putting her hand to the side of his face, she caused some of them to run over when he turned to kiss her palm before holding her hand in place with his own.

"I should have text or something to forewarn you, to at least let you know that if you saw me on the street; that I wasn't going to be myself." Peter took as much of the blame as he could.

"In the future, it would be nice to know when you are going undercover, even if you can't tell me all of the details, but that still doesn't change the fact that the reason this hurt both of us as much as it did, was because I doubted you. For one crazy minute, I forgot that I was watching Peter Burke of the FBI, a man who is dedicated to his job when he is at work, and who then shows the same level of dedication to this family that he has chosen to be a part of when he comes home. Then for more than a day, I dwelt on my anger and hurt while shutting you out... only to nearly experience the meeting again. When Jones and the other agent showed up... We may not be married, but you are a part of this family, and we can't lose you." She was trying not to cry again.

Unable to take the full burden away, he knew she was going to have to deal with the guilt of her reaction, so Peter tried to convey just how much what she said meant to him. "Thank you. I know that you had a great husband in Ethan, everyone who knew him seems to think of him as a fairy tale prince charming. Then you moved here, and saw that people like him aren't as common as fairy tales make them out to be, to a point that you even had a few bad experiences with boyfriends. You haven't told me, and neither have the others, but I'm an agent, I can see that they hurt your trust. When I came along, each date was like a test. If it wasn't yours, then it was one of the twins, and there are times that you still gage me to ensure that I'm not slipping up, that I'm more like Ethan than those other men. So I understand why seeing me with another woman would hurt, and those emotions would make it hard to react any other way." He needed a moment to catch his breath.

"You are a lot more like Ethan than you would think, despite being nothing like him on other fronts. Perhaps you draw stick figures instead of master pieces, because you are a numbers man instead of an artist, but you both share this way of treating me like a lady and coming in as a knight on the white charger to protect and care for me and the twins. You are the honest law man who loves us dearly. And for that, I can never thank you enough." She wanted him to know that she held him in high esteem. He wasn't comparable to Ethan in most ways, he wasn't a replacement, but where it mattered, he matched the shoes left behind.

"I think we both have past experiences to work past, but at least we can do it together, because I can't lose you guys either." He reached up and cupped her cheek to extend his comfort to her. His expression conveyed his gratitude and trust, and the tears clearing from his eyes showed that he was emotionally working past what had happened.

Mimicking his earlier action, Elizabeth put her hand over his and leaned into his touch. Her eyes were also clearing up of the tears, and she was emotionally working past her guilt.

*******

**Nightmares**

It happened one night after Peter was feeling more alert. He woke up to sounds and realized that they emanated from the twins room, like one of them was upset. Figuring that it was a nightmare, he got up from the couch and gingerly made his way to the door. Opening it quietly, he peaked in and could see that Neal was restlessly shifting on his bed. Carefully toeing his way acrossed the floor in case of forgotten toys, he sat down on the edge and put a hand on Neal's shoulder trying to settle him. As the kid began to cry softly, Peter changed to shaking his shoulder slightly in an effort to wake him up.

Coming out of his nightmare, Neal looked around in the dark realizing that someone was there.

"It's just me, Neal. Are you alright? I could hear you from the couch." Peter's soft strength and concern was reassuring to the boy.

"I dreamed that you had died." The boy moved to hug him and cried into his side.

Peter had positioned himself to reduce any impact should the kid react too quickly in his sleep. He had to be the one conscious of his injuries. Hugging the boy, he comforted him until he drifted back to sleep. Softly whispering, "It's alright Neal, I'm alive, and I'm not going anywhere" with soothing circles on his back seemed to work wonders. Kissing the child's head, Peter held him close for one last hug before laying him down and tucking him in.

On his way out of the room, he noticed Bryce beginning to stir. Putting his hand to Bryce's head and whispering to him seemed to stave off the beginnings of a nightmare before it got started.

Then he returned to the couch feeling that all was right in his world. He was safe and alive at his girlfriend's while the twins slept safely in their room. Drifting off to sleep, he made the mistake of thinking how grateful he was to have reconciled with Elizabeth.

Sometime later, Peter woke up to discover that Elizabeth was crouching in front of him worriedly. "Peter, are you alright? You aren't hurting, are you?"

Groaning slightly as he focused and shifted to sit up slightly, Peter tried to understand why she was there. "What going on, are one of the boys having a nightmare again?" He questioned groggily.

"The boys were having nightmares? No, I came out to check on you. I could hear you moaning and groaning from my room, you sounded like you were hurting." She looked more concerned.

Pulling her up onto the couch next to him, Peter enjoyed her soothing presence after his own nightmare.

Explaining how he had been dreaming about ways his accident could have gone badly, how he could have lost their little family, he held her as close as he dared for comfort.

"You lived, and we aren't going anywhere. I've learned my lesson and won't make that mistake again." Elizabeth kissed him before making Peter more comfortable. He needed his sleep, and she was feeling rather tired too.

As his breathing evened out, Elizabeth enjoyed hearing his heartbeat rhythmically in her ear. He was alive, and growing stronger every day.

Waking up a little while later, Elizabeth knew that it was still dark and shifted to lay Peter back out on the couch. It would be more restful for him like that, and she knew she needed to get back to her bed where she could sleep more comfortably. Seeing his face relaxed in sleep, she couldn't resist stealing another kiss before tiptoeing away.

*******

**Rest**

With Peter having met the other kids, Elizabeth agreed to have Sara over as a play date for Neal while Bryce was over at Chuck's. It gave each twin time to interact with their friends without the other twin present. They needed to have some time to individualize with other children.

Curled up on the couch, Peter was feeling better and interacting with the people around him more. Watching the two children, he enjoyed how sweet it was to see them coloring on each side of the table. They were quietly focused on their work, but they seemed to have an awareness of each other.

Neal reached out and slid a shade of purple closer to Sara when she was looking around for something. Based on how her eyes lit up, it was just the right shade for what she was looking for.

A little while later, Neal paused and stared as his picture trying to determine which color would be best for the next part. "You should color it pink to play off the light greens." Looking around the table for the right shade, she passed him a crayon. "It will compliment all of the greens that you've been using."

"Should I use some deeper shades, just to make them stand out?" He asked for her opinion further.

Nodding enthusiastically, she didn't have to say how much she agreed.

Grinning to himself, Peter thought it almost odd how they seemed to work together so well as a couple, especially at such a young age.

Suddenly getting a thought, he wondered if maybe he should include Sara in his plans. After all, she was Neal's girlfriend, and if they kept to their plans and married someday, she would officially become a part of the family.

"Sara, would you mind coming over here for a few moments?" He called over to where they were coloring.

Laying her crayon aside, Sara climbed down from her perch and walked over to see what Peter wanted. Having expected to be sent for a glass of water or some such errand, she was surprised when he had a question for her.

"Since you and Neal are so close, you are a member of this family in your own way, so I want to consider your opinion too. If I were to invite you to an evening out with Neal, Bryce, and I to officially ask for your permission to marry Elizabeth, what would you say?"

Looking very surprised, then excited, before settling on confused, Sara didn't know quite how to answer. "I would love to go with you. But why would my opinion matter in whether or not you marry Elizabeth? We only met at the birthday party last month."

Explaining himself, Peter told her. "Because, you and Neal are dating, which means you have plans to join the family someday too. I value your opinion as a prospective future daughter in law."

Seeming to understand, Sara blurted her answer out. "Oh, well then I'd love for you to marry Elizabeth. She seems really happy with you, and Neal looks up to you. He now says that he's narrowed down which agency he is going to grow up to work in. Was there anything else? Did you need any water?" She still expected to be sent for some other task.

Curious what agency Neal had chosen, Peter let her go back to her play.

Later, when her parents came to pick her up, Peter asked to speak with them for a few moments.

Telling them the general concept of what he had in mind, he asked for permission to set a date with them and pick Sara up for the special evening.

Loving his enthusiastic acceptance of their daughter, her parents welcomed the idea and thought it sweet that he was going to such lengths to make sure everything was alright with the kids.

With his plans coming together, Peter was getting closer to acting upon them.

Before heading to bed that night, he managed to catch Neal. "Hey buddy, Sara said something earlier and I was wondering..."

"What?" Neal paused.

"Which agency did you chose?" Peter didn't know why he was so curious, maybe because he already knew that Bryce had CIA in mind, or perhaps because Sara had only mentioned it without details.

Yawning and rubbing his eyes, Neal managed to get out his answer. "FBI, because that is what you do. Goodnight, Peter."

Giving the boy a hug, Peter was only vaguely aware of their routine. His mind was stuck on the words that Neal had said. That he had chosen the FBI, because of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading, commenting/reviewing, leaving kudos, and following :D


	29. Plans

***********

**Special**

When the night came about, Elizabeth only knew Peter was going to be by to pick up the boys, but nothing about why they were supposed to be dressed up for the occasion. Pondering what he could be up to, Elizabeth told the boys they couldn't play because they had to get ready for a special night with Peter.

"Really?!" Neal suddenly perked up in extreme excitement. He seemed to know exactly what was intended.

Matching Neal's expression, Bryce did his own little dance of enthusiasm while softly singing that Peter was finally ready.

Confused, but glad to know it was a good thing based on how excited the boys were, Elizabeth puzzled over it and tried to get clues from the excited twins while she bathed them and dressed them in their best.

Refusing to say anything, the twins seemed to relish the secret amongst themselves while enjoying Elizabeth's curiosity.

Trying her charm on Peter when he came for the boys, Elizabeth was surprised to see him dressed rather nice as well.

"It looks like you boys are going somewhere nice for the evening." She hoped Peter would say something, anything, about their plans.

Grinning in pleasure at her eager curiosity, Peter simply kissed her. "This is something special between the kids and I. They don't know what we're doing either, so there wasn't any point in you asking them all afternoon." He smiled knowingly.

Pouting, Elizabeth hoped the expression might loosen Peter up since nothing else seemed to be working. "The twins seem to know something."

"They know what the purpose of the evening is, not how it's going to be executed." Peter teased her before kissing her one last time. Guiding the twins, he walked out the door smiling over his shoulder as they continued down the hall.

Watching them go, Elizabeth still had no idea what they were up to.

*******

**Party**

Peter stopped off at a familiar town house and got the boys out of their car seats. Walking them up to the door, he knocked and waited as he heard the noise of people moving about in the house.

After a moment, Sara's dad opened the door and invited them in. He complimented the twins on how nice they looked and thanked Peter once again for taking Sara along for the special evening. Conversing with them, he entertained them for the few minutes that it took for the girls to finish getting Sara ready.

Coming down the stairs, Sara had a pretty little dress of lace and frills. It was simple enough to not be overwhelming, but pretty for the details.

Telling her how nice she looked, Peter led the twins in how to behave. Bryce said the basic compliments, but Neal had trouble speaking as he was focused on how pretty she was.

Managing after Peter nudged him, Neal said. "You look lovely, Sara."

Blushing prettily, she smiled especially for Neal before walking over to them. Taking one of Peter's hands before grasping Neal's with her other hand; she stood between them ready to go.

Giving a basic schedule to her parents, Peter explained what was going on for the evening before leading the kids outside. Sara's dad followed to pass Peter her car seat, and then he went back inside leaving the kids in Peter's capable hands.

"Wow, you brought an FBI vehicle?" Sara asked.

"We are able to drive official vehicles. You know, my car is one. I just borrowed this one for the evening instead so that we could safely fit three car seats." Peter explained while he got all three of them settled into their seats.

Once everyone was buckled into their seats, Peter pulled the SUV out and headed for the restaurant.

*******

**Dinner**

Walking into a nice local restaurant, Peter had reservations for a party of four.

Holding hands with the kids, he followed the waiter to a back table while the eyes of many patrons followed them. He mentally imagined that they made quite a sight with him holding the boys' hands while Neal then held Sara's.

Guiding Sara on how to act, Peter gestured for her to take her seat before pushing it in for her. Then he made sure the boys were placed close to the table to help avoid them wearing any of their dinner before the evening was over.

Taking his own seat, he showed the kids where to look for their choices and flipped the menu open to the steaks for himself. Making their decisions, they sent the waiter off to fill their orders.

Despite their eagerness for him to discuss the purpose of the evening, Peter told them it could wait. "We've already discussed enough for you all to know what I'm going to ask you, and I know the basics of what your answers are, but that isn't the only purpose of this evening. All of us have our own connections to this family, and I want this evening to be something special for just us. I'll ask my question later, but for now we're just going to talk and enjoy our meal.. pretend like you don't know what's coming. Can you do that for a bit?"

Nodding, the kids liked the idea of imagining. They were eager for the question, but settled down to take it at Peter's pace.

"What are we going to talk about?" Sara asked.

"How about we start with you little lady? What did you do today?"

Listening to them each tell of their day in turn, Peter enjoyed the time spent getting to know Sara better while enjoying a more formal occasion with the twins.

*******

**Permission**

After they had finished eating and the table had been mostly cleared, Peter's attitude got more formal. Realizing it was time, all three kids tried to mimic him.

Smiling softly at their efforts, Peter started into his request. "Now, you've all known why we're here and why I requested you each specifically. So, to ask you each officially I'll start with the oldest and work my way down through by age."

At their serious little nods, Peter started at the top. "Neal, I promise to do my best by you, to support you in your future plans, to help you wherever I can, to protect you whenever you need it, and to treat you as my own son by loving you unconditionally. As the eldest, do I have your permission to marry your mother and thereby join the family as your step-father?"

Trying to keep his expression serious, Neal's eyes sparkled while his smile took up his face. "Yes." Then he decided to tag on a promise like Peter had. "I promise to try and behave, to love you as my dad... and someday, I want to make you proud by being an FBI agent like you."

"I'm already proud of you, and if you should change your mind in the next twenty years to become an artist, I'll still be proud of you, Neal." Peter wanted to make sure Neal didn't feel pushed to stick to his decision if he should change his mind.

Moving on to the next one in line, Peter continued. "Bryce, I also make the same promises to do my best by you. You have different plans for your future, but I also want to be there for you when I can to support, help, and protect you. If you continue on the path you've chosen, it won't be easy for either of us, but you have the makings to do well in your chosen field. The most important part though, I want you to know that I promise to love you unconditionally as my own son no matter what the future holds. As the youngest, do I have your permission to marry your mother and thereby join the family as your step-father?"

Keeping a serious face, Bryce was successful at keeping his emotions off of his face, but his eyes spoke volumes. "Yes, Peter. I would love to have you as a father figure and to make you our official dad. Although I wouldn't be able to turn to as much as I would like, according to the TV shows, I appreciate knowing that I could turn to you whenever possible." They were speaking of future events with a knowledge of what to expect.

"My door is always open, Bryce." Peter reinforced his feelings.

Finishing up his rounds, he turned to last child. "Sara, the circumstances are different for you since your father is still living and in your life. However, if there is ever anything I can do for you, I promise to do it to the best of my abilities. For as long as you wish to pursue your current plans, I will support you in those endeavors. If you ever need my help or protection, there isn't anything I wouldn't do for you. Whether you and Neal do marry someday or not, I promise to love you for the sweet and intelligent little girl that you are. As Neal's girlfriend and a prospective daughter in law someday in a few decades, do I have your permission to marry Elizabeth?"

Grinning, Sara didn't bother trying to keep a serious expression, it just wasn't going to happen. "Yes! I think you would make a nice father-in-law."

Peter breathed a little easier having gotten past the official request for Elizabeth's hand. He would still call her father, but he wanted to have the kids' permission first. "Alright, I appreciate your approval. Considering that this will affect the rest of your lives in connection to this family, it's important to give you some say."

Sensing that the official part was over, the boys relaxed and all three children couldn't help but show their pleasure at the treatment.

Finally realizing they were being observed, Peter noticed several people from the surrounding tables were smiling at them in amusement, and one older lady had tears in her eyes.

Peter nodded in acknowledgement at the other people, they returned focus to their own tables and many avoided his eyes. Just like with proposals, other patrons were simply curious and enjoyed seeing a scene.

Getting his focus back together, Peter had one more request of the kids. "I have a project for each of you too. Would you mind each coloring a page for Elizabeth? Then Neal, would you mind turning each of them into one of your origami boxes as big as your hand?"

With a shrug, Neal was game for the projects.

The others each agreed to color their pages.

"Do you have a certain point you want them by?" Neal asked.

"As soon as possible would be best, but whenever you finish them will work. I don't have a particular date yet." Peter was still finalizing the last details.

Having completed their purpose for the evening, Peter finished paying the bill and led the children out for the trip home.

*******

**Engagement**

Once Peter had the permission of Elizabeth's father, the ring had been sized to fit Elizabeth according to a ring Peter had asked for Mozzie's help acquiring, and he had the children's craft projects in hand, it was time.

Sneaking into the apartment one evening when he knew Elizabeth was going to be working late, Peter worked with Mozzie and the twins to set up a nice dinner table, he cooked the foods, and the twins picked up their toys. In a joint effort, he and Mozzie got the apartment ready, the twins fed and off to bed, and then Mozzie snuck out to be gone before Elizabeth got home.

Elizabeth had called Mozzie to let him know she was on her way so she expected the twins to be fed and in bed, but she didn't expect what she got when she opened the door.

Dropping her purse, Elizabeth was surprised to see the apartment picked up, a candle lit dinner spread on the table, and Peter standing nervously in his best suit. "Oh... it's lovely, Peter. But why..." Then she realized that it was the first anniversary of the day they started dating. Believing he was just being sweet and celebrating, she didn't look any further for what he might have in mind for the evening.

Helping her to collect her things so they could be put away, Peter then escorted her acrossed the room and pulled her chair out for her. Pushing her chair in, he then played waiter as he served her food and helped her to get settled in to eat. Then he fixed his own food and began to eat as well.

After they had finished, Elizabeth thought the evening was nearly over, when Peter laid three origami boxes in front of her.

Opening them, she started with the first one. Reading the notes in Neal's she read that Peter had asked for permission for her hand from her sons, Sara, and her father. They all approved.

Beginning to realize that he had something else up his sleeve, she opened the second one and read Peter's note about how much he loved her.

With tears in her eyes, she opened the third to find her favorite flower.

Turning to look at Peter, she found him crouched by her side with his proposal and a ring box.

Listening from their room, two little boys were hanging on every word as Peter went through his speech. Then they tried to muffle their squeals as their mother accepted.

Back in the dining room, Peter stood up to slip the ring onto her finger before pulling her into his arms and kissing her.

Smiling with joy, Elizabeth didn't mind the muffled squeals indicating the twins staying up past their bedtime. It was a special night after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading, reviewing, and choosing to favorite :D


	30. Union

***********

**Anticipation**

When the day of the wedding came, it was nothing compared to what the first experience had been for Elizabeth. She knew what it was like to be married, to be a mother, so there wasn't anything exceptionally new there. What made the day so special was that it was different, it wasn't Ethan waiting for her, it was Peter. The children of family weren't going to perform the roles of ring bearers, because her sons were.

Thinking of them, Elizabeth knew she should be moving, she didn't only have herself to get ready this time either.

Hearing her phone ring, Elizabeth picked it up and saw that Peter was calling her. Answering with a pretend attitude, she said. "Don't tell me that you have cold feet now, because I'll send you a pair of socks if you need them."

Laughing at the unexpected greeting, Peter reassured her. "No need for socks here, my feet are plenty warm. Maybe I should be asking about yours?" He teased in return.

"Toasty warm." She grinned. "So, to what do I owe this early morning call?"

"I'm just calling to say how excited I am to marry you in a few hours." Peter's words were no longer teasing, he wasn't trying to be romantic, he was just that excited.

Knowing his general inability to be romantic, Elizabeth chose to enjoy one of his rare successes. "Considering that I was just thinking about how excited I am to be marrying you, I'm surprised you beat me to the phone." She shared her enthusiasm right back.

Chuckling, Peter asked how long she had been up. After her answer, he explained why he seemed so early. "I've already been up for an hour and am mostly dressed for the day. We both know you don't need it, but that you will be primping for a while in preparation for the ceremony, so I won't keep you long. Mostly, I just wanted to say that I love you Elizabeth, and I'm looking forward to calling you Mrs. Burke later today."

Glowing, Elizabeth appreciated his thoughts. "Thanks for taking the time to call, we both know you have a lot to do today. Just remember, I love you too, and I'm looking forward to being Mrs. Burke for a lifetime."

Wrapping up their conversations, they each went about the many things that had to be accomplished before the wedding could begin.

*******

**Ceremony**

When the music began to play, Elizabeth started her walk down the aisle. Sara led the procession as the flower girl, Susan was the matron of honor this time, and her father guided her on the way for the second time.

"I always thought I'd only walk you down the aisle once, but Peter is a good man, and I'm glad you will have someone there to help you. If you were to ask me, I think Ethan would approve of your choice; that he would find Peter something of a kindred spirit if you know what I mean." He had whispered to her while they waited for their turn.

Elizabeth had agreed, and as she saw the pride and excitement reflected on Peter's face, she could also see the love and respect in his eyes. He adored her.

Taking his hand, Elizabeth faced Peter while Mozzie guided them through their vows. The man had insisted on taking part in the wedding, and after verifying the legally binding ability of his certification, Peter had given way and allowed it.

When it came time for the rings, Neal stepped forward with the first one, while Bryce followed with the second at his turn. By giving them each one ring, neither twin was given a job more or less important than the other. It also gave them both roles in the main wedding party befitting their age.

Lifting her veil, Peter happily kissed the bride on command before the two turned to the audience for the official introduction of man and wife.

Heading back down the aisle, they were followed by Jones and Susan, Neal and Sara, and Bryce bringing up the rear.

*******

**Official**

When the toasts were flying around, the room got quiet with curiosity as Neal took the microphone.

Raising his arms toward Peter, Neal requested to be placed on the table. Standing nearly eye to eye with his new father, Neal was ready for his speech. Handing Peter a package, he asked him to open it.

Peeling off the wrapping paper with care, Peter was very curious what it contained. Making it through, he opened the box to reveal two picture frames with each containing copies of the same picture. A family group of him, Elizabeth, and the twins posing at the beach.

Looking up at Neal, he thanked him for the pictures and waited for him to say his speech.

"You have pointed out the picture above my bed, of our family before my dad was killed. Now this is a picture of our new family. After your honeymoon, I want you to hang this above my bed next to the other picture. This way both of my dads will be watching over me." Looking at Peter very seriously, he finished his speech. "I love you, dad."

With tears shining in his eyes, Peter hugged Neal. "I love you too, son." He knew that it was time, that Neal was now ready for him to officially treat him like his own son. "We'll hang that picture up first thing, deal?"

"Deal." Neal had said his piece, he had officially accepted Peter, and he was ready to go back to his seat. Extending his arms out for Peter to lift him down, his new dad held him a little tighter in another hug on his way down before passing him the second frame to take to his seat.

Sitting back down, Peter held Elizabeth's hand while she wiped away her own tears.

"That's what he wanted that for... he wouldn't say, just asked for my help in printing and framing the picture." She loved that her son was accepting Peter so well. Bryce had already been calling Peter dad from time to time, so she had worried that Neal was having a harder time accepting it all. He seemed to love Peter, but maybe he didn't want him to replace Ethan.

"Neal and I talked months ago, well before the engagement. He said he wanted to do something special after the ceremony when it was official. This must have been on his mind for a long time..." Peter was proud and pleased by the gift.

"I'm glad, he had me worried that maybe he didn't want to feel like you were replacing Ethan. They don't remember him, but they know who he was." Breathing a little deeper, she didn't want to dwell on the past. It was her wedding day. "At least they will always have you there for them, so they won't ever be without a father again." She kissed Peter before he led her out onto the dance floor for their first dance as husband and wife.

*******

**Dance**

Later in the evening, Peter and Elizabeth were working their way around the dance floor. Peter had taken some classes, so he was holding his own with the basics, but he wasn't doing anything fancy.

Bumping into another couple, Peter turned to apologize, but had to look down to where Neal was looking back up at him with Sara. The kids obviously had no idea what they were doing, but were more mimicking the most basic of dances that they had seen displayed.

As the song wound to an end, Peter decided on something. "Hey Neal, would you mind switching partners for a song?"

With Sara's permission, Neal agreed.

Showing Neal how to ask a girl for a dance, Peter used Sara for his example. "Sara, may I have this next dance?"

Neal mimicked him and asked his mother.

Following Peter's lead, Elizabeth answered Neal to show Sara what to say. "You may."

Lifting Sara up so that she stood on his shoes, Peter gently put his hand on her waist to support her while holding her hand out in position for the dance. Then he took the basic steps for the dance to show her the feel for it.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth stood with Neal's hand on her waist and his other hand extended. Leading from the female role, she taught him the basic feel for it. He could learn to dance better later when he was older, but it was at least a start for him.

Dancing around in the corner of the floor, the adults kept it simple for the kids. Neal got to dance with his mother, and Sara got to dance with Peter.

When the song was finished, Peter gently passed Sara back to Neal and took Elizabeth away on the dance floor. As they made their way around, they watched the kids.

"I think they got the basics." Peter smiled. He didn't dance too bad, but one simple lesson and Neal was doing just as well as he was.

Laughing, Elizabeth had also noticed how quickly the kids had taken it up. "We may have a dancer as well as an artist on our hands now Mr. Burke. It was sweet of you to think of that."

"We might Mrs. Burke. Maybe we can double date on the lessons?" He teased.

Loving the idea, Elizabeth would have to present it to Sara's parents later, but figured that they probably wouldn't mind.

Giving her up for another dance, Peter let Bryce take a turn around the corner of the floor with his mother.

*******

**Cake**

Choosing the flavor of cake for the wedding had been the twins' favorite part. Elizabeth and Peter had brought them along figuring it was something they could both help on, as well as enjoy.

When it came time to cut said cake, it was Peter and Elizabeth who had the most fun though.

Reaching down her fork to pick up a bite for Peter, Elizabeth changed her mind and suddenly grabbed part of the piece to smear it acrossed Peter's face.

With frosting all over, Peter paused for a second, and before she could guess what his reaction would be, he used his quick reflexes to have her face covered with frosting and cake bits from his piece.

To the roaring laugher, they both chose to kiss each other with frosting covered faces before finger feeding the rest of their pieces for tradition.

Finishing out doling the pieces, they had to admonish the children that what they had done was fun for the bride and groom only, the kids weren't allowed to mimic them.

Pouting, some of the kids were disappointed. Morgan appeared to have had plans for Bryce, but derailed in his endeavor, he had to settle for simply eating his cake with a relish.

*******

**Family**

As the wedding wound down, Peter sat to the side with Elizabeth and simply watched their families and friends mingle.

"I don't think it's a bad thing that this kind of exploded... there are more people than we had originally talked about, but everyone seems to be getting along fine." Peter commented.

"No, it isn't going bad at all. I do like the smaller wedding, but by the time we invited your friends and family, mine, and then the twins' group of friends, the numbers did add up." She curled into his side and enjoyed the feeling of him wrapping his arm around her.

"For some of them this is the first time that they've met, but they might as well get to know each other. They're probably going to be crossing paths at family events for the foreseeable future."

"Mmhhm." Elizabeth sighed. "You know, I had forgotten how much we were missing beforehand, just being the twins and I, but now that it's not missing, suddenly it's more noticeable."

"What's that?" He wondered.

"You. After Ethan... there was a gap in our family. I didn't have another adult to help me, the twins didn't have a father, and we were missing a key role in how we had previously functioned. Over the last few years, I've had to work doubly hard to fill that, but it's impossible for me to completely play two roles. I'm not their father, never have been, and never truly could be... I'm their mother and that's the only role I know how to play. But with you, I get to watch all those little things that you do. Whether it's taking them out to play sports, helping them with math and problem solving police work, or those times when you do things like showing them how to dance... you fill that role we've been missing."

Kissing her head, Peter was glad to have eased some of Elizabeth's burdens. He never wanted to replace Ethan, just find his own niche in the family. "That's because we're a family now. Neal said it very well, he will always have Ethan as his biological father, but I'll always be around as his living father."

"You didn't say step father. Most men I've met over the years would've, and that seems to be a fairly common thing for others too." Elizabeth noted.

"We're a family. They're technically my step sons, but I'm their dad, someone who is going to be around for the rest of their lives, so I don't think the step part fits unless talking technicalities." Peter had only used the word a few times in technical or formal situations to prove it, and never to the boys themselves. Since it had been official, he had only referred to them as his sons and with a proud smile every time.

"It's not just them though, you've accepted Sara like a future daughter in law, haven't minded that Susan and Dirk are the boy's God-parents, and even allowed Mozzie to officiate our wedding. That takes a lot of adjusting." She was still impressed by how he had handled everything.

"You are all completely worth it. Besides, considering how serious Neal and Sara are about their plans, it's just possible that they might get married someday, and if they do, then we'll have a lot of fond memories to look back on as she officially joins the family."

"If they do, it will be just like it was today, making what already is official." Elizabeth summarized. Talking it through with Peter made it a little less surreal to her mind, but she was still caught up in how everything had worked out.

She had loved Ethan so passionately, and then he had been killed leaving her with two little boys who quickly grew without remembering him. Then she met the amazing man sitting next to her who accepted her for all of her past and the little twins that had come from it for all of their quarks and characters. To pile on to that, she had just married the man she had come to love and adore, and she had the rest of her life to look forward to with her new family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading, reviewing, and leaving kudos :D
> 
> Next week we wrap up this story by skipping ahead twenty some years to the epilogue where we get to see how the family has grown. Then I plan to finish posting the three completed "Tales of Twins" chapters I was working through before this story. While that goes, I will be taking votes from readers to see what story you all would like to see next. The list is on my profile page in the completed section with title, description, and lengths. Send me a PM or leave a review to share your choice :D


	31. Epilogue

*******

**Liar**

Hanging around the hospital hallway, Neal wondered where his brother was. "Speak of the devil." He noticed his twin entering the hallway where they were standing.

"Sorry I'm late, I was in a meeting and couldn't get away from the bank." Bryce made his excuse as he got closer. "Why don't you head home and get some sleep?" Bryce tried to pretend that he was awake and chipper.

"If you crash on the couch. You need to lie better bro, I mean, you're talking to two FBI agents consisting of your dad and identical twin." Neal yawned.

Pretending to have no idea what they were talking about, Bryce tried to deflect. "What? I'm an accountant at the bank in Washington DC, I was held in a meeting, and I was late to arrive. How is that lying?"

With an exaggerated sneeze, Neal masked his response. "CIA." Then he pretended to be reacting to something like allergies as he whispered for only the other two to hear. "You dreamed of it all of our childhood, got recruited during your junior year, and just got back from a mission. How're Carmichael, Walker, Casey, and Cobra by the way?"

Looking between his dad and brother, Bryce was concerned with what that knowledge entailed.

"We have good reputations with the government, and it was thought that it would be a good idea for us to know we might be targeted. With Neal being your identical twin and us working in the same building as known family, the bosses told us the basics... and we might have done some careful poking around which allowed us to know the general details of your team." Peter shrugged.

Coming up behind Bryce to kiss him on the cheek, Elizabeth also surprised him. "I may not know all of the details, but I know what you all wanted to be, enough of an idea of what that entails, and what I have seen of you since you went into your careers. It's obvious to those of us who know you that you pursued your dream, and the accounting job is just a front."

Floored, Bryce hadn't realized they not only knew he was lying, but the truth he had been attempting to hide from them.

*******

**Careers**

"What do you know?" Bryce had pulled the three into another room where he wanted to talk to them.

Laughing, Neal joked. "That Casey certainly didn't become a colonel in the Marines to go work as a green shirt in the Buymore, Sara aspired to more than working a yogurt shop, and Chuck was always heading higher than a Nerd Herd Supervisor. Morgan could have been viewed as a green shirt, but he always followed Chuck, so he would have found a way into the agency too."

"Consider that Stephen and Marry were always CIA, it wasn't surprising for their son to carry on the mantle. They've told me some things over the years, but I'm not admitting to knowing any of that... it's just too weird." Peter shuddered slightly.

"I just married two law enforcement and raised two agents. Granted, Neal is able to talk to us about the FBI more than you can the CIA, but I still notice things." Elizabeth couldn't point out any specific details, she left that to Peter and Neal, but she was intelligent and observant enough to know the basics. "Besides, you all followed through with your childhood plans. I mean, Sara and Neal are married, she is an insurance retrieval expert, Neal is an agent of the FBI, you're CIA with a cover as an accountant, Chuck and Sarah are married, and the others are your team, presumably a mixture of CIA and NSA. It's not like you kept your plans secret when you were five... or since." She teased.

Leaning back in his seat, Bryce felt a little relieved. At least the group wouldn't have to lie to his family, they just couldn't share the details. "Well, what do you know. I've been trying to keep you protected and distant from all of this, and you already know everything between you. Dad even knows the Bartowski secret!" Shaking his head, Bryce gave up. "So much for being a super spy as Chuck likes to call me."

Ruffling his hair like he had done when the boys were little, Peter reminded him of that old comfort. "You and the team don't have to lie to us in private, but it is best to keep up appearances in general."

Each showing their understanding, the family showed their support in his choice and asked for various favors. Most of them remained along the lines of retaining contact, giving warnings, and coming home as much as possible. None of them wanted to lose him into the system, whether it was death or disappearance.

*******

**Window**

Standing in the hallway much as his father had done before him, Neal stood staring through the window at the two little figures sleeping in the front row. They weren't identical, but the little boy and girl certainly looked like their parents.

One had darker hair that looked like it might take after Neal, but the other was lighter, almost red, and likely to take after Sara.

Raising them was going to be a challenge, and he had some pretty big shoes to live up to for what a father should be like.

"You'll do fine." Peter clapped him on the shoulder seeming to read his mind.

"I have some tough examples to live up to, between you and Ethan, I had the best dads in the world." Neal smiled softly as one of the twins shifted in their sleep. He couldn't help but wonder what they might be dreaming about.

Hugging him from the side, Peter continued to encourage him. "That may seem harder, but you know what to do. I've seen you with other kids and you're a natural. For as much as you remember me doing well with you, remember, I had a learning curve with some mistakes."

"Don't remind me of that baseball game. We learned to understand your appreciation of the sport... and we've even gone to games with you without throwing tantrums." Neal tried to defend himself.

"And that proves my point. It's more than twenty years later and you still remember how badly that went the first time." Squeezing his son's shoulder again, Peter reminded him that he was going to make mistakes, but do alright in the long run.

Leaning into Peter, Neal appreciated his strength and support. He was a new father, and it had been a long night. Granted, it was much longer for Sara which was why she was sleeping, but still, a long night.

"I'm sure it is far more interesting to watch them sleep, but why don't you let me drive you home for some rest?" Peter tried to urge the tired man.

"So, how're the twins?" Bryce asked as he joined them.

"They're fine, you have a niece and a nephew." Neal waxed eloquently on his newborns. His brother had fallen asleep so he had missed some of the commotion. The agent could sleep through a thunderstorm, yet awake at a whisper. With his family around and knowing his occupation, Bryce had let his guard down for some much needed rest.

Yawning and stretching as he tried to wake himself up, Bryce joked that he might have to visit Sara later without telling her which twin he was, then remembered that she could always tell them apart.

Knowing he wouldn't get away with it, Neal wasn't worried. "She's always been able to tell us apart at a glance, says it's something in the way we look at her. To you she is just a sister in law, but to me, she is my wife and the mother of my children." Neal clarified some of how she did it, something that the others had suspected, but never confirmed.

Noticing his brother's lingering glances at his children, Bryce joined the argument. "At least go take the space where I was sleeping. It isn't exactly comfortable, but you can sleep close by."

Proving successful, they at least managed to get Neal to sleep for a while. They would forcibly drag him home later, but the excitement was still too strong for the moment.

*******

**Conversation**

Enjoying some alone time with his dad, Bryce settled in to talk to Peter while they watched the twins sleep.

"Sometimes it's hard to believe that Neal and Sara have really made it." Bryce observed. "Neal always said he would follow in dad's footsteps, giving Sara the same rings around the same times he gave them to mom. Sure, the age difference isn't the same, so Neal wasn't going away to college because Sara was always in the same grade being less than a year younger than us. Now they have a house, their dream jobs, and a family."

"Do you ever think of changing your mind, or wish you had that life?" Peter wondered. Bryce had always been so set on the adventure that he never really looked for the marital bliss his brother had found.

"Not really. Sometimes it would be nice to have someone in my life like he has Sara, but then other times I'm so caught up in the adventure and work that I don't notice." He didn't have longing, mostly a wish to be understood and known for who he had really become.

"Marriage isn't for everyone, but Chuck proves it's possible. Marrying another agent might help as that's my primary known examples from your field, but I'm sure others have worked it out over the centuries." Peter encouraged that it was alright for him to focus on work, but okay for him to settle down too if he decided.

"The Bartowski's are certainly an interesting set of examples. Did you know why they left and all of the causes behind that back when it happened?" Bryce was suddenly curious. His dad had known, what did that mean?

"Yes, I knew some of what was going on and why. They asked me to watch out for Ellie and Chuck which is why we had them around so often." Peter remembered the worry he had felt knowing the two agents were facing some daunting problems while their two young children believed their parents had abandoned them. "It was hard not to say anything, but that was a condition of knowing. I wasn't allowed to tell anyone I knew, yet alone what I knew."

Absorbing that, Bryce saw Peter's actions from those days rather differently. He had thought they were just having their friends over to give them a supporting home on stressful nights so Ellie could study and allowing Chuck to relax. Now, he realized those reasons only covered part of it. "You were trying to provide some protection for them too, weren't you? That's why you were always hyper alert whenever they called, watched out for them at our place where you could keep us all safe, and you checked on them in addition to providing advice on ways for them to keep safe..."

Confirming his assumptions, Peter was glad to finally share the burden. "If any of their parents' enemies ever showed up... it had become my job to ensure their protection."

"And we thank you for that." came a voice from behind them.

Turning around, Peter and Bryce were glad to see the rest of the team collected to support Neal and Sara with their new family.

"Hey, glad you guys could make it. The mission is wrapped up?" Bryce asked.

Throwing side glances at Peter, Chuck tried to hint a reminder to avoid mentioning their work.

Waving it aside, Bryce laughed. "Turns out they already know... including your code names. Being twins with Neal, the bosses chose to tell my family the basics, and they kind of snooped to learn some additional details. We don't have to lie to them, just keep appearances in public." Bryce updated them.

Relaxing, the entire group were relieved that someone from their childhood knew the truth. Not everyone would be giving them those side glances and questioning their career choices.

Returning to the previous point of conversation now that the truth had been cleared up on that front, Ellie wanted to know more about her parents. "What were you saying about mom and dad?"

Knowing that Stephen and Mary hadn't shared everything with their children, despite the family being together again, Peter told them the basics. "I figured out that they were CIA at the twins' sixth birthday party... ever since then they have told me various things about their work with instructions to protect you or just in case they didn't come back from a mission. When they left, I knew the basics of why, was charged to protect you in case those enemies came after you, and wasn't to let anyone know what I knew for all of our safety. If anyone discovered I could be used to gain information, they would have used any of you to coerce me."

Feeling better, they liked knowing their parents hadn't completely abandoned them. Chuck and Ellie were glad to know they had had a protector.

"Did you keep in communication with them while they were gone?" Chuck wondered.

"Your dad had pictures, stories, and recordings of you in a drop box at least once a week. He then passed what he could onto your mother. They had other means of checking in themselves from time to time, but that was a more secure means, because I wasn't being watched and could pass them things easier." Peter continued to reassure them and make their burdens lighter.

Dissolving into easier conversation, the group had things to think about.

*******

**Names**

With Mozzie making his sneak visit to the hospital, he was looking for the little twins when Bryce walked up beside him.

"The twins are in the front and center row. See the dark haired boy and almost redheaded girl?" He pointed at his niece and nephew.

Giving them a good look over, Mozzie was satisfied that they appeared healthy enough. Walking with Bryce to where the rest of the group was, he asked what their names were.

Talking with his eyes closed, Neal answered. "Ethan Peter Rivers-Burke, my son is named for my fathers... literally, by both first and last names. Our girl was harder, she is Abby Caroline Rivers-Burke, after her aunt who ran away and the name mom would have called me had I been a girl." He smiled at the thought of being called Abby.

Peter smiled proudly again, the same as he always did when he was reminded of his little namesake.

Since he was awake, the group hauled Neal in to see his wife before dragging him home.

*******

**Home**

Taking Bryce home with them, Peter and Elizabeth pulled up to their townhouse. They had moved to the new place shortly after their wedding as it was bigger for the growing family and a place where they could start their lives together.

The twins were given the two rooms upstairs so that they had their own spaces to grow, but those were now an office and guest room with the twins grown.

Opening the door, Bryce was greeted by the new dog. He was still thought of as the new dog despite being five years old, but after having had Satchmo for so many years, he was still the new puppy in many ways.

Wrestling with the excited lab, Bryce gave him a good pet after a few minutes before insisting on taking his bag from Peter. Although Peter was more than capable of hauling it up the stairs, Bryce could do it faster and since he was going to be freshening up anyway it would save Peter a trip.

After a refreshing shower, he spent the evening with his parents before they went to bed early. It had been a long day and the family was tired.

Bryce reflected on being an uncle and began making plans on how to handle it.

Peter was proud to be a father and now grandfather with a little name sake to watch grow up. He had made the same promises to each of those kids as he had made to their parents, and would do his best to uphold his word with the next generation as he continued to with the one before.

Elizabeth couldn't believe she was a grandmother, and she wished Ethan was looking down to see what had become of the family. She was also grateful for the man sleeping beside her. He had chosen to become a father to her sons, and now he was the grandfather to the next generation, someone he didn't have to be, and had yet chosen to become with willing enthusiasm.

A new generation had begun and the last generations were continuing on with their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading, reviewing, and leaving kudos :D
> 
> As I mentioned last week, I'm going to finish posting the "Tales of Twins" series next based on what chapters I have written and waiting to post. While that is happening, I will be taking votes for what you all want to see after that based on what stories are in my completed list on my profile page. Please PM or review me your pick :D
> 
> I appreciate those who have voted :D So far we have one vote for "The Black Sheep of the Family" and another for "International Escapades." This means we need the tie broken...

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you everyone for reading, reviewing, leaving kudos, following, and choosing to favorite :D
> 
> Prompt: "hi I like to say that I love its history and I would suggest a story where Neal and Brice are children and Peter and El is your country. maybe they can be children of only one or Peter or Elizabeth. Co eg El is a single mother of twins and knows Peter and the two marry and Peter has to learn to deal with the Twins really cool series." (Margarete1 on Paternal Discoveries).
> 
> Song: "He Didn't Have To Be," by Brad Paisley. (Inspired the title and some portions of the storyline later).
> 
> Conversation: Quinis and I talked to beef up this idea and give it more body so many of the ideas go to her for credit.
> 
> This story has roughly four sections with no official divides. First we meet young Elizabeth going through her life until she moves to New York with the twins, then we start meeting familiar characters, Peter will come in, and the epilogue has the twins all grown up… While we enjoy this adventure, I will be working on either finishing other stories, or concocting new ones from my many plot bunnies awaiting their turn.


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